Australia to vote on carbon trade this year: PM

The government will not delay parliamentary vote on the carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS).

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today dismissed calls from the opposition coalition to delay the vote until next year, when the outcome of UN negotiations on climate change is known.

He told reporters the vote must go ahead in order to provide business certainty over the future of the scheme, and for Australia to have a position at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen in December.

The vote is expected to take place in June.

Green backing

The government was backed today by the Greens, who also said the future of the scheme should be decided as soon as possible.

But unlike the government the Greens want to see the proposed emissions trading scheme defeated.

"We want to see this 'agreement to fail' rejected and get Australia moving with real action," Greens Senator Christine Milne said today.

Without the support of the Greens or the coalition the Labor government faces an uphill battle to see the CPRS through the Senate.

If parliament turns down the CPRS, Labor could call a new election, which – according to recent polls – could pave the way for a new parliamentary situation that could see Labor and the Greens push through a stricter scheme.

Jobs

Meanwhile, The Climate Institute today presented a new report saying that planned investment as a result of the CPRS would create more than 26,000 new jobs.

Most of the new jobs, 15,000, would be in construction, it said.

The study was conducted by consultancy McLennan Magasanik Associates.

Last week the Minerals Council of Australia said the sector would lose 66,000 jobs by 2030 if the carbon trading scheme is adopted in its current version.