Australian Greens call on urgent climate action
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The Australian Greens on Tuesday said they have written to Prime Minister Julia Gillard calling for swift action on climate change if Labor Party is re-elected.
Greens leader Bob Brown said he had written to Gillard on Monday proposing a five-point plan for rapid government action on climate change and a legislated carbon price soon after the election.
He wanted a returning Labor government to act within three months to fix the carbon price at 23 dollars (20.05 U.S. dollars) per ton in a scheme which would start on July 1 next year.
Senator Brown said the scheme would stay in place until a new global climate treaty was struck and would resolve uncertainty about long-term emissions targets.
He said emissions targets should not be included in the initial laws.
Senator Brown said he looked forward to talks with Gillard on the issue and also called for an end to coal-fired power and old-growth logging.
"With the mining boom tax under review, so should be the unmet need for a carbon price," Senator Brown told ABC Radio on Tuesday.
"We understand that the government is set to announce new solar and wind projects, but Australia's business sector needs a carbon price for forward planning and now is the time for government to send that signal."
Gillard had flagged setting a carbon price as a priority in her first speech, Senator Brown said.
"She knows, like all of us do, that quick action on climate change is wanted and the public treated the (ousted prime minister Kevin) Rudd government with a downturn in the polls because it didn't come to action on climate change having promised it at the 2007 election," Senator Brown.
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