Media Release
Mark Butler MP
Shadow Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water
Date: 27 March 2014
A
Senate Inquiry into the Abbott Government’s Direct Action policy has
found the policy is deeply flawed, unlikely to achieve its goals within
its budget and will be far less effective than an emissions trading
scheme.
“The
Inquiry heard from a range of experts including two of Australia’s
leading economists, a number of leading climate scientists and industry
representatives, most of whom provided extensive evidence of Direct
Action’s inadequacies,” Shadow Climate Change Minister Mark Butler said.
“Most
notably, expert after expert recommended the Government not repeal
Labor’s Clean Energy legislation and adopt Labor’s emissions trading
scheme from 1 July 2014 which will ensure a legal cap on pollution.
“This
advice reflects the policy activities of some of the biggest economies
in the world including China and the European Union,” Mr Butler said.
“How many times must the Prime Minister be told that he’s going the wrong way on climate change?”
The
Committee also recommended the Climate Change Authority and the Clean
Energy Finance Corporation, agencies the Government has failed to have
abolished, be retained and the current funding to the Australian
Renewable Energy Agency be retained, despite Government plans to reduce
its funding.
The
Committee made several recommendations for the Government to provide
more detail on certain aspects of their underdeveloped policy.
“After
four years, three Senate Inquiry hearings and two Senate Estimates
hearings, no one, not least the Government or the Environment
Department, can describe how Direct Action is going to achieve its
goals.
“Direct Action is nothing more than a dressed up slush fund with a pretty name.”
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