THE Rudd Government has vowed to have an emissions trading scheme operating in this country by 2010. The Rudd Government has rushed in and signed the Kyoto Protocol and now our nation is to be rushed into a position whereby our carbon emissions will be traded in a cap and trade system like shares on the ASX.

How do you think our feedlot operators, farmers and small business people are going to like sitting down at their desks to do their Business Activity Statements and now their Emissions Abatement Certificate also.

Calculating agriculture’s true emissions is a complex exercise. That is why the Nationals have argued agriculture should not be an industry that is forced into complying within an emissions trading scheme that is designed for the stationary energy sector.

The Nationals have argued that farmers, feedlot operators and small business people cannot afford the time impost of an emissions trading scheme. They should be provided with incentives to gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining productive businesses.

Fuel prices at these record highs have taught us what poor economic management does to the ordinary Australian citizen.

An emissions trading scheme is going to add significant compliance costs onto small business and these will be passed onto householders. Penny Wong and Kevin Rudd are looking more like reckless reconstructionists and not representative of the average Australian.

Angela Martin

THE NATIONALS TAMWORTH

ELECTORATE COUNCIL