THE most senior public servant on climate change has blasted criticism of the Government's emissions-trading scheme made by the Opposition, big business and the mining industry.
Martin Parkinson, the Secretary of the Department of Climate Change, used a speech yesterday to call for honesty in the debate as it entered its final stages.
He lashed out at modelling put forward by the mining sector and their lobbyists forecasting thousands of job losses in areas such as coal. "Too often these reports are driven by a pre-determined headline. Too often they contain low-quality analysis, flawed assumptions and a selective use of data," he said.
Dr Parkinson said he understood the motives behind the reports but he objected to the "unquestioning equivalence that are all too often afforded by commentators with the detailed, peer-reviewed and comprehensively documented [Treasury] modelling conducted for the Government".
He also criticised the Opposition argument that Australia should delay a vote on the emissions-trading scheme and wait to model the scheme on one now being developed in the United States.
"Those who argue that we should instead simply adopt the [US] model fail to recognise that it has been designed for the United States and does not necessarily suit the Australian situation. We need a scheme built for us and for our national interests."
Dr Parkinson also took aim at arguments put forward by the independent senator Nick Xenophon, who believes a cap-and-trade scheme is flawed and that Australia should look at adopting the Canadian model, a so-called intensity-based scheme.
He said this model was being hailed as a "magic pudding" when it was nothing of the sort.
"In short, the debate would be better served by focusing on ways to optimise a cap-and-trade scheme for Australia's conditions rather than going back over what should now be settled ground."
The speech was quite political for a public servant, and it is believed the Government had significant input in its writing. It illustrated the growing tensions as a vote in the Senate on the emissions trading scheme looms on August 13.
The Coalition is divided over what to do. As far as can be ascertained, the leadership has agreed to defeat the bill next month. If the Government reintroduces it three months later - thus setting it up as a trigger for a double dissolution if defeated again - the Coalition will decide what to do then.
It can be revealed that the Liberal frontbencher Eric Abetz was dispatched in recent days to ask business what it wanted with the outside chance the Coalition would be ready to do a deal by next month. The Coalition is prepared for business to dictate the amendments it wants pushed in the Senate.
Sources told the Herald the business wish list was long and it was unlikely amendments would be ready by next month.
Under the proposed legislation, for example, the number of free permits for big polluters would decrease by 1.3 per cent a year so they gradually adapt.
The Business Council of Australia wants this delay rate slowed down.
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