FA 108

17 September 1997

CLIMATE CHANGE: THE OPPOSITION WALKS AWAY FROM AUSTRALIAN JOBS

With his comments on climate change yesterday, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Gareth Evans, has shown he is willing to act against Australia's national interests, risk the jobs of thousands of Australians and repudiate his own party's stance on climate change, rather than argue Australia's legitimate case for differentiation on greenhouse gas emission targets.

It is Mr Evans who is the laughing stock of Australia on this issue. It is Mr Evans who would jump at the chance to setback Australian industry and destroy Australian jobs.

Mr Evans in Opposition has become the champion of job destroying policies.

Unlike Mr Evans, Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has acknowledged on several occasions the difficulties facing Australia in the climate change negotiations. In June this year, a spokesman for Mr Beazley said that the Opposition did not want unfair mandatory targets imposed on Australia.

Likewise, in a speech on 5 September, Shadow Minister for the Environment, Duncan Kerr, said that the Opposition believes that "Australia's interests require us to press the international community to accommodate the dependence of the Australian community on its mineral exports and fossil fuels".

In contrast to Mr Evans's do-nothing for Australia approach, an understanding of Australia's special circumstances is precisely what this Government is seeking.

In Opposition, the Labor Party has clearly failed to make a coherent case for any position on the climate change issue, let alone one which reflects Australia's unique circumstances and the very real need for those circumstances to be reflected in an outcome from the climate change negotiations.

The Australian Government remains strongly committed to a fair and effective outcome to the climate change negotiations. Australia is looking for an outcome that differentiates greenhouse gas emission targets, taking into account equity considerations and each countries particular circumstances. Australia is not looking for a free ride, but to play its part responsibly in combating the threat of climate change. But we will not accept binding targets which unfairly penalise the Australian economy and which will cost Australian jobs.

The Labor Party, in particular Mr Evans, would rather lose those jobs than see us pursue Australia's national interests.

Further information: Innes Willox

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