The Australian version of the cap and trade failed to pass in their parliament today. From Reuters UK:
Australia’s parliament rejected laws to set up a sweeping carbon trade scheme on Wednesday, scuttling a key climate change policy of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and providing a trigger for an early 2010 election.
I’m always a little baffled by the (common) system of government where one failed vote can lead to a new election. But it is interesting to think that anger over global warming legislation could be the cause. Being a Reuters article no mention at all about Climategate and whether it played a role or not in the vote.
It does not sound as if Rudd is going to give up easily.
Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the government would re-introduce the carbon trade bills in February to give the opposition Liberal Party one more chance to support the scheme, adding the government was not looking at an early election.
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It was the second rejection of the carbon-trade legislation by a hostile Senate. The vote gave Rudd a legal trigger to call an election that could come as early as March or April 2010, and to then ram his laws through a special joint sitting of both houses of parliament if he is returned to power.I did find this amusing:
The prime minister, who is overseas, had hoped to take his carbon-trade scheme to next week’s global talks in Copenhagen, where world leaders will seek to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
First Climategate, then this. I can guarantee you that when these world leaders convene on Copenhagen, they will act as if they have the moral backing from every last person on the planet. I can only hope that a cynical world, perhaps now with its eyes open, will see through the charade.
