Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

On this other critical question of an emissions-trading scheme the Leader of the Opposition said today that they believe in one but only when the rest of the world acts. Let us go back to their environment spokesperson who said in May that Australia should not wait until a genuinely global agreement has been negotiated. In other words, whether it is on support for an ETS at all, the inclusion of petrol, the impact of price or whether an ETS should be brought in prior to or subsequent to the establishment of global arrangements on this score, we have at least three conflicting positions on the part of those opposite.

This is a serious debate for the nation’s future. It has huge economic implications for the nation. It has huge implications in terms of the environment itself. We are proceeding in a calm, measured, responsible way through our deliberative processes with industry. Across the other side of the parliamentary chamber today, and in recent days and weeks, we have an absolute policy shambles—there is not a skerrick of consistency on any element of these policies. I would invite those opposite to participate in a sober national debate on this rather than simply degenerate into the fear campaign and the scare campaign which those opposite have embarked upon. It is not worthy of them, it is not worthy of this parliament and it is not worthy of the future of the national economy.

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