Fed: Coalition ready to fight early election on climate change: Pyne

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2009
Fed: Coalition ready to fight early election on climate change: Pyne

CANBERRA, Aug 16 AAP - The coalition is ready to go to an early election on climate
change, Opposition frontbencher Christopher Pyne says.

The coalition and all cross-bench senators voted against Labor's 11 climate change
bills in the Senate on Thursday, a move which could lead to a double-dissolution election
if the legislation is rejected again in three months time.

Mr Pyne said he thought the government's emissions trading scheme (ETS) should be debated
in February, after the US has passed its version and global climate change talks have
taken place in Copenhagen.

"(But) my sense is they will bring it back in November because they are looking for
a double-dissolution trigger," he told ABC TV on Sunday.

Mr Pyne said the coalition would not pass Labor's ETS because it feared an early election.

"If the government wants to have an election, we'll have one," he said.

Meanwhile, the government's renewable energy target (RET) could be passed as early as this week.

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong announced the government would detach the RET from
the rest of its ETS so it could be voted on separately.

Under the RET, 20 per cent of electricity must come from renewable sources by 2020.

Mr Pyne said Opposition climate change spokesman Greg Hunt had already spoken with
Senator Wong over the RET draft laws.

Although the coalition is seeking to make minor amendments to them, Mr Pyne said they
would not stop the bill's passage through the Senate.

AAP bsb/ldj

KEYWORD: CLIMATE PYNE

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