On this day, September 6, 2000, South Australian Senator Nick Minchin puts out a press release… I know, hold the front page, right…
But the context is that the first attempt to introduce a national level emissions trading scheme had just been defeated – with Nick Minchin largely responsible. This was the semi-gloating declaration of victory…
Below is a quote from the ever-reliable Jim Green, writing in “Green Left Weekly”
The federal Coalition government has taken a number of decisions to reassure big business that measures adopted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will have little or no impact.
Federal minister for industry, science and resources Nick Minchin outlined “specific commitments” to industry in a September 6 press release. They were:
● that a mandatory domestic greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme will not be introduced “prematurely”;
● that the government “will involve industry from the inception through to the implementation phase of greenhouse gas abatement policies and strategies that impact on the industry”;
● that the government will work internationally “to get Australia the best possible greenhouse position”;
● that the government will assist in “minimising the burden of greenhouse measures on business through cost-effective actions”; and
● that the government will not “discriminate against particular projects or regions in greenhouse policies and programs”.
“What we are saying to industry is that in any decisions we make on greenhouse, we will work to maintain their international competitiveness. This is a framework for the government’s greenhouse policy processes. These are all common sense measures that will allow Australian industry to grow and meet our Kyoto commitments. It’s good news for industry, which has warmly welcomed the government’s commitments”, Minchin said.
The government’s “specific commitments” are noticeably lacking in specifics. Canberra’s primary aim is simply to reassure business interests that measures to curb escalating greenhouse gas emissions will have little or no impact on their activities.
Green, J. 2000. Business warms to greenhouse ‘commitments’. Green Left Weekly, 13 September.
https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/business-warms-greenhouse-commitments
On this day the PPM was 367.15 Now it is 421ish- but see here for the latest.
Why this matters.
There is inertia in human systems, but that inertia is often helped on its way by intransigence. And that intransigence is not “stupid”. Underestimate the opponents of action at your peril…
What happened next?
Prime Minister John Howard got away with it for two more elections. Only in 2006-7 did this unravel for him.