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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/02/coalition-direct-action-no-funding-increase
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| Coalition's Direct Action funding won't rise if 5% emissions target not met | Coalition's Direct Action funding won't rise if 5% emissions target not met |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Coalition will not increase funding for its “Direct Action” even if the climate policy fails to deliver Australia’s promised greenhouse gas reductions, an outcome several attempts to model the plan have indicated is very likely. | The Coalition will not increase funding for its “Direct Action” even if the climate policy fails to deliver Australia’s promised greenhouse gas reductions, an outcome several attempts to model the plan have indicated is very likely. |
| Speaking at the National Press Club, Tony Abbott attacked the “almost unimaginable” long-term costs of Labor’s emissions trading scheme, but would not commit to any modelling of his own scheme despite two recent studies showing it would either cost billions more than budgeted or fail to meet Australia’s internationally pledged target. | Speaking at the National Press Club, Tony Abbott attacked the “almost unimaginable” long-term costs of Labor’s emissions trading scheme, but would not commit to any modelling of his own scheme despite two recent studies showing it would either cost billions more than budgeted or fail to meet Australia’s internationally pledged target. |
| “The bottom line is we will spend as much as we have budgeted, no more and and no less. We will get as much environmental improvement, as much emission reduction as we can for the spending we have budgeted,” Abbott said. | “The bottom line is we will spend as much as we have budgeted, no more and and no less. We will get as much environmental improvement, as much emission reduction as we can for the spending we have budgeted,” Abbott said. |
| “We are very confident we can achieve the 5% target … but in the end we have told you the money we will spend – and we won’t spend any more,” he said. | “We are very confident we can achieve the 5% target … but in the end we have told you the money we will spend – and we won’t spend any more,” he said. |
| Indicating that he is already preparing for the post-election parliamentary fight over his promise to repeal Labor’s emissions trading scheme and the possibility he will be forced to a double dissolution election on the issue, Abbott spent much of his press club address attacking the long-term costs of Labor’s scheme, as revealed in comprehensive Treasury modelling, and arguing that a defeated Labor party would be forced to agree to its repeal. | Indicating that he is already preparing for the post-election parliamentary fight over his promise to repeal Labor’s emissions trading scheme and the possibility he will be forced to a double dissolution election on the issue, Abbott spent much of his press club address attacking the long-term costs of Labor’s scheme, as revealed in comprehensive Treasury modelling, and arguing that a defeated Labor party would be forced to agree to its repeal. |
| In a cautious speech without any new policy announcements Abbott, now almost assured of victory, according to opinion polls, returned to his theme of the past three years, declaring the election would be “a referendum on the carbon tax” and that he would have a mandate to repeal it. | In a cautious speech without any new policy announcements Abbott, now almost assured of victory, according to opinion polls, returned to his theme of the past three years, declaring the election would be “a referendum on the carbon tax” and that he would have a mandate to repeal it. |
| And he claimed there was a “struggle inside the ALP … a very deep struggle going on for the soul of the party … a developing civil war” between traditional Labor people who think the role of the Labor party is to get a better economic deal for the working person, and those who believe in “social engineering”. | And he claimed there was a “struggle inside the ALP … a very deep struggle going on for the soul of the party … a developing civil war” between traditional Labor people who think the role of the Labor party is to get a better economic deal for the working person, and those who believe in “social engineering”. |
| “I am confident that if the Labor party loses the election they will draw the right lessons from this and the right lessons are the Labor party cannot long endure if it sells out the decent ordinary workers of this country … if Labor loses this election the last thing they will want to do is continue this relationship with the Greens that has caused them so much pain and the last thing they will do is persist in support for a carbon tax; having lost one election through support for a carbon tax, why on God’s earth would you lose a second supporting the same failed policy?” Abbott said. | “I am confident that if the Labor party loses the election they will draw the right lessons from this and the right lessons are the Labor party cannot long endure if it sells out the decent ordinary workers of this country … if Labor loses this election the last thing they will want to do is continue this relationship with the Greens that has caused them so much pain and the last thing they will do is persist in support for a carbon tax; having lost one election through support for a carbon tax, why on God’s earth would you lose a second supporting the same failed policy?” Abbott said. |
| Labor has, to date, insisted it will not support the repeal of the emissions trading scheme that it introduced and neither will the Greens. | Labor has, to date, insisted it will not support the repeal of the emissions trading scheme that it introduced and neither will the Greens. |
| If Labor sticks to that position, depending on the outcome of the half Senate election on Saturday, it would mean the repeal is blocked in the Senate, or that a Coalition government is forced to negotiate with a group of centre and right-of-centre independent senators. Senator Nick Xenophon, who is likely to be re-elected, has indicated he would want to see substantial modifications to Direct Action before he would agree to the repeal of the existing emissions trading scheme. | If Labor sticks to that position, depending on the outcome of the half Senate election on Saturday, it would mean the repeal is blocked in the Senate, or that a Coalition government is forced to negotiate with a group of centre and right-of-centre independent senators. Senator Nick Xenophon, who is likely to be re-elected, has indicated he would want to see substantial modifications to Direct Action before he would agree to the repeal of the existing emissions trading scheme. |
| Greens leader Senator Christine Milne said Abbott’s statement on his emissions reduction fund meant he had “effectively abandoned” Australia’s minimum 5% emissions reduction target by 2020. | |
| “He says if we don’t meet the target he doesn’t care, and all the evidence suggests he isn’t going to meet the target,” Milne said. | |
| Milne said that also meant Australia had “effectively pulled out of international climate negotiations” because they would inevitably require Australia to reduce its emissions by more than the minimum 5%. | |
| Modelling by Sinclair Knight Merz/MMA for The Climate Institute found the Coalition would have to find at least another $4bn for its climate policy or else break its pledge to cut emissions by 5% by 2020 and instead allow them to increase by 9%. | Modelling by Sinclair Knight Merz/MMA for The Climate Institute found the Coalition would have to find at least another $4bn for its climate policy or else break its pledge to cut emissions by 5% by 2020 and instead allow them to increase by 9%. |
| Modelling by Reputex climate analytics, commissioned by the environment group WWF-Australia, found the Coalition funding would fall short by $5.9bn a year between 2015 and 2020, or between $20bn and $35bn in total. | Modelling by Reputex climate analytics, commissioned by the environment group WWF-Australia, found the Coalition funding would fall short by $5.9bn a year between 2015 and 2020, or between $20bn and $35bn in total. |
| Abbott also confirmed the Coalition policy was unlikely to impose any penalty on any polluter, unless they somehow managed to change “a clean process into a dirty process”, something he said no company in its right mind would do. | Abbott also confirmed the Coalition policy was unlikely to impose any penalty on any polluter, unless they somehow managed to change “a clean process into a dirty process”, something he said no company in its right mind would do. |
| Even though his promised repeal would reduce power prices, Abbott said he believed the desire to cut costs would prompt companies to reduce emissions of their own volition, without any carbon price. | Even though his promised repeal would reduce power prices, Abbott said he believed the desire to cut costs would prompt companies to reduce emissions of their own volition, without any carbon price. |
| As Abbott entered the final week with a message of reassurance and caution, the prime minister, Kevin Rudd, took the riskier path of ramping up his personal attack on Abbott, appealing to doubts voters might have about the Coalition leader’s ability to manage the economy and crucial issues of national security. | As Abbott entered the final week with a message of reassurance and caution, the prime minister, Kevin Rudd, took the riskier path of ramping up his personal attack on Abbott, appealing to doubts voters might have about the Coalition leader’s ability to manage the economy and crucial issues of national security. |
| Picking up the central negative message of his Sunday campaign launch, Rudd is repeatedly saying to voters that if they have “doubts” about Abbott they shouldn’t vote for him. | Picking up the central negative message of his Sunday campaign launch, Rudd is repeatedly saying to voters that if they have “doubts” about Abbott they shouldn’t vote for him. |
| Rudd focused his attack on Abbott’s comments on Sunday that the international community should approach intervention in the escalating Syrian conflict carefully because “it is not goodies versus baddies, it’s baddies versus baddies”. | Rudd focused his attack on Abbott’s comments on Sunday that the international community should approach intervention in the escalating Syrian conflict carefully because “it is not goodies versus baddies, it’s baddies versus baddies”. |
| Rudd accused Abbott of “trivialising a complex problem”. | Rudd accused Abbott of “trivialising a complex problem”. |
| “The last time I used the term ‘goodies and baddies’ was when I was playing cowboys and indians when I was about 10 years old,” he said. | “The last time I used the term ‘goodies and baddies’ was when I was playing cowboys and indians when I was about 10 years old,” he said. |
| Abbott’s message, by contrast, was one of reassurance. | Abbott’s message, by contrast, was one of reassurance. |
| “My aim is to lead a no surprises, no excuses government that says what it means and does what it says,” he said. | “My aim is to lead a no surprises, no excuses government that says what it means and does what it says,” he said. |
| Abbott also pledged a review of the national schools curriculum, which he said mentioned unions more than business and referred to previous Labor prime ministers but not Coalition ones. He said he would defer to experts and teachers on the issue but believed we could “do better”. | Abbott also pledged a review of the national schools curriculum, which he said mentioned unions more than business and referred to previous Labor prime ministers but not Coalition ones. He said he would defer to experts and teachers on the issue but believed we could “do better”. |
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