ENERGY and Resources Minister Peter Batchelor has called on Malcolm Turnbull to get out of the way of the Federal Government’s proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).
Batchelor says that Turnbull should start providing certainty to the Victorian energy sector during these tough global economic times. He says that Turnbull needs to start working with the Rudd Government on the final design of the scheme that will help Australia tackle climate change.
The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme canvasses options and preferred approaches to lowering emissions, such as which industry sectors would be covered and how emission caps would be set. The mining sector will be especially affected as the highest gross carbon emissions are produced from coal usage.
The Minister says that Turnbull’s Dr No politics is hurting the Victorian energy industry and putting jobs on the line, with investment being delayed until the scheme details are finalised.
Turnbull believes that the CPRS will hurt Australian industry as it won’t be able to remain competitive with other countries. He says a global agreement on climate change is needed.
However, Batchelor points to the Liberals’ own report on the CPRS which states that ‘A credible long term price of carbon is crucial so that investment decisions, particularly long lived ones, are made in the full knowledge of a cost of carbon, creating incentives to invest in low carbon plant, technologies, practices and so on’.”
Batchelor says that because states such as Victoria and South Australia have privatised electricity industries, investor certainty is crucial to ensure that needs continue to be met.
Batchelor claims that the Brumby Government will continue to invest in new technologies and initiatives to complement the CPRS and help Victoria prepare for a carbon constrained future.
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