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Fielding not convinced coalition’s scheme better than gov’t

News Clippings February 03 2010

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The coalition’s new climate action policy has failed to win over a key crossbench senator.

Steve Fielding says funding the $3.2 billion policy would come at a cost to health and education services.

The Family First senator, known for his climate change skepticism, said the coalition policy was a bandaid solution.

“They’ve realised the government is in trouble,” he told reporters in Canberra.

Senator Fielding and other crossbenchers helped to vote down Labor’s emissions trading scheme twice in the upper house last year.

The government is making a third attempt to win parliamentary approval for its carbon pollution reduction scheme by introducing amended legislation to the lower house on Tuesday.

Labor needs the support of at least seven non-government senators to have the legislation pass the upper house.

Senator Fielding also fired a shot at The Nationals for saying the science on climate change had been settled.

“I believe in climate change but there are still questions about the science,” he said.

“It looks like Barnaby Joyce and The Nationals have sold out the farmers and many Australians who still have concerns about the science.”

Former opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull will be the only lower house coalition MP to cross the floor when it comes to a vote on Labor’s emissions trading scheme, a Liberal backbencher says.

“There has been talk about one particular member in the Reps crossing the floor but I haven’t heard of any others,” Dennis Jensen told AAP on Wednesday.

Asked about Mr Turnbull’s authority among backbenchers, Dr Jensen - a climate change sceptic - said: “There is no mood in the party for any sort of rebellion at the moment.”