The Leader of the Nationals in the Senate, Senator Barnaby Joyce, has launched an online petition to stop the Emissions Trading Scheme which is the centrepiece of the Labor Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
“The Nationals voted against the CPRS in August and intend to stop this insidious tax once and for all when the legislation returns to the Senate in the next sitting session,” said Senator Fiona Nash, Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate.
“In a little over 24 hours 2500 people have added their names to the petition and many have written a comment as well. Their mood reflects the feeling we have detected all over Australia for months. People do not understand what an ETS is and they definitely do not want to pay more for electricity, housing, food and transport. The people of regional Australia will be hit hard by the ETS with thousands of jobs estimated to be at risk.
“Australians are concerned about the planet but the heavy-handedness of the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, in insisting that we adopt this legislation ahead of any of our trading competitors outweighs any good that may come from a nation that is responsible for 1.4% of global emissions.
“Our gesture will be nothing but that – a token to make the Government feel good as it flexes it muscles at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen from December 7 to 18.
“African nations have asked for an international fund of $200 billion a year to help poor countries deal with the consequences of climate change and we are being exhorted to become vegetarian to save the planet. This is descending into farce.”
The petition reads:
To the Honourable President and members of the Senate in Parliament assembled:
The petition of the undersigned shows that we object to Australia adopting an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the Copenhagen Treaty as foreshadowed by the Rudd Government. Your petitioners ask that the Senate reject the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, (CPRS).
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 1:17 PM
Malcolm Turnbull has been everywhere today (Radio / TV) saying he supports an ETS and that it is part of Coalition policy. Fiona, you must make a stand. It is time you rethought your intension and ‘delight’ to be preselected to run on a joint NSW Coalition Senate ticket next election.
http://www.fionanash.com.au/News/tabid/62/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/417/Fiona-Nash-Preselected-For-Senate-Ticket.aspx
To share a senate ticket with Turnbull's sell-out Liberals would be a blatant display of you putting your self interest ahead of what the rank and file supporters of the Nationals are demanding. If an ETS is Coalition policy then you have to be honest and embrace it or dissolve the Coalition immediately. I think it is high time the Nationals became the true-blue conservative party in Australia and leave Turnbull to swan around the leafy suburbs of Sydney on his lonesome. I repeat; Anti-ETS folk won't support you if you are sharing the ticket with Turnbull's Pro-ETS senators. Regards Ben