The Australian
By: Dennis Shanahan
AS the Coalition meets in Canberra today to forge a climate change policy that would delay an emissions trading scheme beyond 2010, it will be confronted with evidence that most Australians support the Rudd Government's position.
Brendan Nelson is expected to adopt a policy with his shadow cabinet colleagues that opts to delay an ETS until greenhouse gas giants such as India and China act to cut their emissions.
But the latest Newspoll survey has confirmed widespread public support for an ETS, with 60 per cent of voters backing the adoption of a scheme "regardless of what other countries do''.
Another 23 per cent support a scheme if other countries act.
Only 11 per cent of voters oppose an ETS under any circumstances.
Dr Nelson told The Australian yesterday the Coalition's greenhouse gas plan would not be popular but "our priority in deciding our policy is to act in Australia's best interest and for Australia not to get too far out in front of the `big guys' of greenhouse gas emissions such as India and China''.
"We need to have our economic eyes wide open.''
According to Newspoll, Australians overwhelmingly believe climate change is under way now and that humans are partly or entirely responsible.
When asked if climate change was caused by human activity, 96 per cent said it was entirely or partly caused by human activity; 84 per cent believed climate change was currently occurring.
On the issue of an emissions trading scheme, the strongest support for Australia introducing such a system "regardless of what other countries do'' was among Labor voters at 68 per cent, women at 68 per cent and people aged between 35 and 49 years at 65 per cent.
Wayne Swan said yesterday the Rudd Government would deal with the ETS "in a responsible and measured way, and that's why we've got a green paper out there at the moment to discuss these issues in a mature way with the Australian people''.
He also said the Liberals were afraid to tackle tough issues and that was why they were seeking to delay the ETS beyond 2010.
The strongest support in the Newspoll survey for delaying until other countries introduced an ETS was among people aged over 50 at 32 per cent, Coalition supporters at 31 per cent, and men at 30 per cent.