The government must not hide its intended medium term emissions reduction target when it announces its carbon tax – and the Greens must say what target they are prepared to accept.

Labor’s current target is the bipartisanly accepted 5% reduction on 2000 emissions by 2020 - but the Greens want much, much, more.

During debates on the CPRS bills in 2009/10 they said repeatedly that the limit of their preparedness to compromise on their policy of a minimum 40% reduction was a 25% cut.

In the Senate on August 11, 2009, Greens Deputy Leader Christine Milne declared support for an unconditional 25% target a precondition for Greens backing for the bills.  She said that “from the point of view of the Greens, the key issue is the target,” and that “Unless we shift our targets, there is no point in going to the committee stages of these bills.”  On November 26 she proposed the same amendment when the CPRS bills were back and said: “The reason this is so critical to the Greens is that it goes to the absolute heart of the environmental integrity of the CPRS scheme and the government’s efforts.”

On June 23 2009 Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said “What we are prepared to support is an unconditional commitment to a 25% target, the bare minimum that is required by science and the global community…..”  On November 24 she said: “We cannot accept a target of 5%. We know that a minimum of 25% is what is needed in order to even start the action needed to tackle climate change.”

Greens Leader Bob Brown told the Senate on November 18 2009: “What we have here is a failed prescription. What we have from the Greens is a prescription commensurate with responsible scientific and economic advice and commonsense.  We will stand by it and we are pleased to be giving this option to this parliament and the people of Australia.”

The Greens consistently voted against the CPRS bills.

The Greens will therefore not be able to vote for the Gillard government’s carbon tax unless the Prime Minister is prepared to abandon the 5% target.  If they do accept the carbon tax, with no lifting of the 5% target, there can only be two explanations.

One is that the Greens are staying silent because they have been promised that, after the tax is in, the government will ramp up the target.

The other is that they have totally sold out.

Senator Boswell said the target was crucial. “It will determine how hard the carbon tax will hit jobs, the cost of living, and the wider economy.  There can be no certainty for industry without a target.  The Government and the Greens must tell us.  What’s the deal?”

ENDS