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As the Federal Opposition continues its campaign against the proposed carbon tax, the Government has seized on the latest report from the OECD as further evidence for putting a price on carbon.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has urged Australia to pursue long-term changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Government is also trying to increase pressure on the Coalition to support a separate bill to set up a scheme to credit farmers for reducing carbon emissions.
The Opposition says it supports the bill in principle but does not trust the Government.
In its latest global economic outlook, the Paris-based OECD has urged Australian authorities to pursue changes to the economy that will encourage lower carbon dioxide emissions.
It says the Government must take advantage of Australia's favourable economic situation to pursue long-term structural changes.
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet says that is why the Government is pursuing a price on carbon.
"In the economic circumstances that we have in this country, it is an important opportunity to pursue long-term reforms including putting a price on carbon so that we can drive the innovation in our economy to reduce our emissions," he said.
But the Coalition remains firmly opposed to the proposed carbon tax. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott reinforced that message to a group of manufacturers in Melbourne last night.
He says the proposed tax cannot be fixed.
"It has to be fought and if it is not fought, the manufacturing sector in this country, I regret to say, is almost certain to die," he said.
As the Government continues to push for the carbon tax, it has already developed a scheme to credit farmers and landowners for their efforts to reduce carbon emissions through different projects like planting trees, capturing methane emissions and sequestering carbon in soil.
The Coalition's direct action policy calls for such actions but the Opposition's environment spokesman, Greg Hunt, says they are not ready to support the legislation yet.
"Our approach is very much to provide opportunities for farmers, for landholders to improve the quality of their land, improve the quality of their soil by capturing carbon, increasing productivity, increasing water retention," he said.
"So this is a shared goal, a common approach, a desired outcome but the job of the Parliament is to make legislation and the job of legislators is to ensure that we know the detail."
Mr Hunt says the Coalition is very supportive of the principle, but he says there is not enough detail in the bill about the approved ways to reduce emissions under the scheme.
"It could well be that there are rules that are put in place that go to the heart of this legislation that effectively destroy opportunities for farmers, that effectively destroy the capacity to do it well," he said.
"Many farmers, many farm groups have expressed reservations about the way in which the Government is approaching this legislation."
Mr Combet says that information is being provided.
"Methodologies have to be developed for particular projects that will store carbon in the landscape and the Government provided to a Senate committee I think only last night further detail on that step," he said.
"All of the details really that are necessary for the legislation to be properly considered and voted upon by the Parliament are available.
"We need to get the legislation through, keep working with stakeholders on the methodologies that will be required, make the regulations... but let's get on with it."
The Government wants the scheme to start from July 1. A senate committee report on the legislation is expected to be completed this week.
Chat about this story w/ TalkitaSource: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/26/3227794.htm
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