ETS decision welcomed: Crook

Author: Tony Crook
Published on: 02-December-2009

FEDERAL Nationals candidate for the seat of O’Connor Tony Crook has welcomed today’s Senate defeat of the Rudd Labor Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) legislation.  After more than 40 hours of debate in the Upper House, the Senate voted 41 to 33 to reject legislation setting up the carbon pollution reduction scheme.

In congratulating the Senate decision, Mr Crook said it was vital that the Federal government listened to the people and should "take a breath" before trying to "foist the legislation upon them without proper scrutiny".

"Despite the name-calling in recent weeks, the Nationals are not sceptics, nor are we deniers," Mr Crook said. "We are realists however, and the reality is that the proposed legislation has been rammed down our throats, rather than making time to fully explore all the ramifications and further, to await a decision from Copenhagen."

The Copenhagen climate change summit - the so-called COP15 – takes place from December 7 to 18. Mr Crook agreed with the Federal Opposition’s stance that it would be "folly" for Australia to establish an emissions trading scheme before the United States had settled on its model and before Copenhagen.

"The Nationals have not – and will not – support a tax on everything that does nothing to help the environment," Mr Crook said. "We’ve remained consistent in this opinion, which is backed by the Australian people who are speaking with an increasingly loud voice on this matter. "The sheer volume of emails and calls received by many Nationals members and candidates, demonstrates that Australians are concerned about this tax because they do not understand it, they believe they will be unfairly slugged and they know it will do nothing to reduce global emissions."

"The Nationals will always keep the interest of the regions at top of mind. The party certainly intends playing a part in dealing with environmental issues but not at the expense of regional people."