Government votes against climate change action

Government votes against climate change action

MEDIA RELEASE – ANTHONY ALBANESE MP

30 October 2006

The Howard Government tonight voted against Labor’s plan to ensure federal environment laws tackle climate change.

This comes on the day the Stern Report outlined the economic consequences of ignoring climate change, with a potential cost greater than both World Wars and the Great Depression.

Climate change is the rampaging elephant in the room that the Government continues to ignore.

John Howard told Parliament today “of course climate change is occurring” – finally acknowledging the problem, but refusing to take responsibility.

There is not one single measure in Australia’s major environment law to protect Australia from dangerous climate change.

The Government has passed 409 pages of amendments to their major environment law, and there’s still not one word on climate change.

The Government rejected Labor’s plan to ensure large scale greenhouse polluting projects are assessed by the Federal Government.

The Government also rejected Labor’s practical amendment to make it an objective of environment laws to protect Australia from the adverse effects of climate change.

The climate sceptics have complete control of the Howard Government’s climate policy.

Ian Macfarlane was clearly signalling Government policy when he told the Sunday program on 20 August 2006:

“I am a sceptic of the connection between emissions and climate change”

The Government is failing its responsibility to this and future generations by refusing to take action to avoid dangerous climate change.