WILLIAMS SEEKS TO DEFER DEBATE ON CPRS BILL.

The Nationals Senator for New South Wales John Williams has moved to defer debate on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 until after the Copenhagen summit.

At the end of his second reading speech, Senator Williams moved that further consideration of the bills be held over until the first sitting day after the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, and the United States has clarified its position by finally voting on the Waxman-Markey bill.
He said the Emissions Trading Scheme will impose the single largest structural change in the Australian economy, with no proven evidence that global warming is man-made.
“For every so-called scientific fact the Government puts forward, there are plenty of reputable scientists and groups who dispute their evidence but are dismissed by the Climate Change Minister as sceptics.
“The big worry with this scheme is the cost impact on every Australian because they can be assured the Prime Minister will have a hand in everyone’s wallet, but they will not see one difference in our climate.
Macquarie Generation which supplies 40 percent of New South Wales electricity needs would have to purchase 25 million permits for the CO2 expelled from its Bayswater and Liddell power stations.
In the first year that would be a cost of $250 million, and that cost will blow out as the price of carbon increases. It will either pass on these extra costs to the consumer, or take a hit on its profits which means the New South Wales Government gets less to spend on infrastructure.
I am very concerned that these additional costs will force up interest rates at a time when the nation is still not out of the economic trough and so many areas are in drought.
My amendment to defer consideration of this legislation until after Copenhagen is only commonsense and will prevent the Prime Minister committing Australia to an untenable position compared with the rest of the world”, Senator Williams said.