VIDEO: Clive Palmer needs to explain his policy on Emissions Trading

VIDEO Greens leader says Clive Palmer ‘having it both ways’ on ETS Australian Broadcasting Corporation 7.30 Report

Broadcast: 25/06/2014

Reporter: Sarah Ferguson

Greens leader Christine Milne welcomes Clive Palmer’s opposition to abolishing the renewable energy target and the climate change authority but thinks he may be having it ‘both ways’ on his emissions trading suggestions.

Transcript

SARAH FERGUSON, PRESENTER: No Government minister, unfortunately, was available for interview tonight. Greens leader Christine Milne, however, is in our Canberra studio. …..SARAH FERGUSON: Now, a few weeks ago I think, Clive Palmer was still questioning the science of climate change; now the green miner is putting himself at the vanguard of climate change policy. Can you make any sense of this?

CHRISTINE MILNE: Well, no, Clive changes his mind from day to day, but I do welcome the fact that he has now said that he will support the Renewable Energy Target, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the Climate Change Authority and I hope he also means the Renewable Energy Agency. So I really welcome the fact that they’re now going to support the retention of those institutions set up by the Greens and Labor under the last government. So that’s good. But as to his vague remarks in relation to emissions trading, it certainly looks as if he’s trying to have it both ways……

In fact, Australia has had an emissions trading scheme legislated since – well, for the last couple of years and so this is an extraordinary thing that Al Gore wasn’t actually acknowledging that. But nevertheless, he obviously is doing his bit to try to maintain good policies like the Renewable Energy Target, Clean Energy Finance Corporation and so on. But on the issue of emissions trading, that’s another thing altogether…… I don’t know whether Clive Palmer actually understands we’ve already got an emissions trading scheme, that’s it’s legislated, that it’s already linked with the European Union and it’s working …

SARAH FERGUSON: Yes, but not with our major trading partners, not with the US, not with China, not with Japan and not with South Korea, so it is something different.

CHRISTINE MILNE: Well, that’s the problem with Mr Palmer: I’m not sure how much he understands or whether this is a cynical ploy to make it look as if he wants emissions trading whilst actually abolishing the (audio problems) … or whether his amendments would apply to the existing scheme and that’s where he needs to come out and clarify his position. …….

CHRISTINE MILNE: …. We’ve got a great scheme as it is and we should keep it. And so my priority will be to clarify with the Palmer United Party whether they will support the existing architecture. They’re supporting the rest of the architecture in rolling out renewable energy. We need to make sure that we keep our existing emissions trading scheme. We don’t want a situation where Clive Palmer facilitates us ending up with nothing……http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s4033227.htm

June 26, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics

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