Australia climate change bill defeated
Updated on 02 December 2009
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's hopes of passing a climate change bill before the Copenhagen summit are dashed as the senate rejects it for a second time.
The bill would reduce Australia's carbon emissions by up to 25 per cent, in a country that has the highest per capita carbon emissions of any developed nation.
The government does not hold a majority in the Australian senate, and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had proposed that Australia should become one of the first countries to install a so-called "cap and trade" system to cut the amount of heat-trapping pollution that industries pump into the air.
After a long debate, the proposal was defeated 41-33 and the main opposition party, which had originally agreed to support a version of the government's bill, suddenly dumped its leader and switched sides.
The new opposition leader Tony Abbott, said Australia should not adopt an emissions trading system before the rest of the world.
He said: "I'm very pleased that the senate has delivered a big win to the people of Australia, who have been saved from a massive new tax that would have been foisted upon them without proper scrutiny.
"I think this is a good day for the Australian people."
Rudd had wanted the legislation passed before he attends next week's UN summit on climate change in Copenhagen so he could portray Australia as a world leader on the issue.
Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the government would reintroduce the bill in February to give the opposition a last chance to overcome its divisions and support the plan.
Rudd could use the failure of the bill to call early elections, but is unlikely to do so before next year, when elections are due anyway.
