Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has delivered an ultimatum to the Greens to jump on board climate change “progress” or risk repeating the “tribal climate wars” as the clock ticks on the government’s key emissions reduction agenda.
The Greens have remained firm on its demand on Labor to include a ban on new coal and gas projects to earn the minor party’s support for the bill.In an exclusive interview with Sky News Australia chief anchor Kieran Gilbert, Mr Bowen said it was “absolutely vital” parliament seized the opportunity and passed the safeguard mechanism reforms.
“Now for those people who call for more than 43 it would be pretty ironic to then vote against action to achieve 43. Mr Bowen said the almost 15 years since the Greens voted down the CPRS in the Senate had shown “what can happen if the Parliament gets it wrong”. The proposed changes to the Coalition-era scheme would force the country’s 215 largest emitters to cut emissions by 4.9 per cent each year.
The Greens hold the balance of power in the Senate with the government needing the party’s 11 votes along with Lidia Thorpe and two other crossbenchers to pass the legislation. “Keep putting up bills, keep doing deals with the Labor government and keep reducing it that way,” Senator Lambie told ABC Radio National.
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