THE Federal Government says it will stand by its timetable for the introduction of an emissions trading scheme, rejecting calls for the plan to be delayed by two years.
But Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said today the government remained committed to having an emissions trading scheme running by 2010, and will publicly release draft legislation in March.
Letters had been sent to the opposition, Greens and minor parties suggesting the legislation be referred to the Senate economic committee for examination and a further period of public consultation.
Senator Wong said the government had already consulted intensively with industry and the community.
"This legislation is to give effect to the decisions the government made in the white paper," she told reporters.
"This is the next stage in the government's plan to tackle climate change, a scheme that will reform and transform the Australian economy."
Senator Wong said the government would consider the Senate's views before finalising legislation which would be introduced to parliament in winter.
She said the government anticipated broad-ranging criticism but was determined to proceed.
"We are determined to take a balanced reasonable perspective and to implement a scheme that will, for the first time in this nation's history, reduce our contribution to climate change from next year," she said.
Senator Wong rejected calls from Ai Group which urged the government push back introduction of emissions trading to 2012.
She said the longer a scheme was delayed, the more it would cost.
"On that issue the government remains committed to the 2010 start," she said.
Senator Wong said individuals and industry needed to reduce their carbon footprint.
She said the sorts of reductions the government proposed under its plan were far greater than even the most determined individuals could achieve.
"This proposition that some people seem to be peddling that there will be all this free carbon for industry to use as a result of individuals' actions simply is not correct," she said.
"What we are doing is reducing industry and the whole economy's carbon emissions from the start of the scheme out to 2020."
AAP
