John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Let me repeat that the government has for some time—and I repeat it again today—been of the view that Australia will fully participate in discussions to achieve an international agreement that embraces all of the countries of the world and most particularly the world’s major emitters. If that were to occur, we would be willing to be part of an international emissions trading system.

If anybody imagines for a moment that that is a position at which we have arrived in the wake of the Stern review, let me refer to the document that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition hoped that I would not throw around. It happens to be a document entitled Securing Australia’s energy future and it was published some two years ago. On page 149, we made it perfectly clear in that document that we were open to participation in an international emissions trading system and that we would not, however, be willing to introduce a trading scheme in the absence of an effective global response. Our position for some years has been to the effect that I have outlined. If you can get all of the world’s major emitters then we can be part of an emissions trading scheme but, until we do, it would betray the interests of, amongst others, the working men and women of Australia if this country were to embrace the policies of the Australian Labor Party.

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