PM - Tuesday, 31 October , 2006 18:10:00
Reporter: Chris Uhlmann
MARK COLVIN: The political temperature is rising in Canberra, with the release of the Stern review on the costs of climate change.
The Prime Minister told his party room today not to be mesmerised by one report, but he and his Ministers were talking of little else in the media.
The Report has had major international impact because Sir Nicholas Stern is not just Britain's Chief Economic Adviser, but a former chief economist to the World Bank.
The report's description of climate change as "the greatest market failure the world has seen" puts the argument in the economic basket, not just the environmental one.
The Federal Government has been re-working its lines on global warming, but the Labor Party appears to believe that on this issue it has the Government on the run.
Chief Political Correspondent Chris Uhlmann reports on a heated day in Canberra.
CHRIS UHLMANN: If you want a measure of the political bite of climate change right now, consider the level of Government activity in the last 24 hours.
Even before the Stern review was released, Government ministers were volunteering to be interviewed about it. Since it's release overnight, the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the Foreign Minister, the Industry and Environment Ministers, and even the Education Minister have been talking climate change.
It's a sign of catch-up politics. The Government has long had a strong position on why it will not ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Until recently it was less coherent on whether or not it was a global warming believer and, if it was, what its alternatives to Kyoto were.
It's quickly drawing together those threads. Part of its political strategy now, similar to its recent position on Iraq, is to look forward, not back. John Howard.
JOHN HOWARD: But we can all accept for the purposes of this debate that it is a major challenge. And the question is what do we do about it in the future. We can debate the sins of emission or commission of the past.
We can argue about whether we should have signed what is now the old Kyoto, or ratified it. The real issue, the real challenge for this nation, for this Parliament, for this world in 2006, is to agree on a path forward that has a measurable impact on greenhouse warming.
CHRIS UHLMANN: So what are its ideas? The Government is backing technology, including nuclear power. Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane.
IAN MACFARLANE: There is in this program, Mr Speaker, a $123-million renewable and remote power generation program, a $100-million renewable energy development initiative, a $75-million solar cities program, a $51.8-million photovoltaic rebate program, Mr Speaker, a $20-million advanced electricity storage initiative, a $14-million advanced wind forecasting capability.
And of course, Mr Speaker, on top of all of those things is the centrepiece, a $500-million lowering emissions technology demonstration fund, Mr Speaker.
CHRIS UHLMANN: Labor senses the Government is making policy on the run. Shadow Environment Minister Anthony Albanese.
ANTHONY ALBANESE: Let's have a look at what we saw today - at least seven different positions put by the Prime Minister between two o'clock and quarter to four this afternoon.
A Prime Minister struggling for relevance in a debate about the future.
CHRIS UHLMANN: There's a clear division between the two major parties on this issue. The Labor Party will sign Kyoto and back carbon trading.
Opposition leader Kim Beazley.
KIM BEAZLEY: We are going to be absolutely determined, Mr Speaker, both to ratify the Kyoto targets, to set real emissions targets, to establish an emissions-trading system, to invest in renewables, not in reactors, to fast-track clean coal technology.
We're going to do all those things, Mr Speaker, and be good international citizens, and good supporters of Australian industry as a result of that.
CHRIS UHLMANN: This is the beginning, not the end of the story. The Government's narrative on climate change is a work in progress. The Prime Minister is a pragmatist, and he's left the emission-trading store ajar, albeit with some heavy caveats.
MARK COLVIN: Chris Uhlmann.
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