Opposition lawmakers decide whether Australian greenhouse gas reduction measures become law

Opposition debate Australian carbon reduction laws

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s government took a key step toward passing legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions by negotiating a compromise deal with the opposition Liberal Party, and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd urged lawmakers Tuesday to support the bill.

The Senate rejected similar legislation in a vote in August with only the governing Labor Party’s 32 senators supporting the bills in the 76-seat senate.

The government on Tuesday released details of a compromise deal negotiated with the main opposition party that increases financial assistance to major polluters including electricity generators and ensures that farmers are not taxed for the methane produced by livestock.

Liberal lawmakers, including the party’s 37 senators, are deeply divided over the legislation and on Tuesday began arguing at a meeting behind closed doors about whether the party should accept the deal.

On the second anniversary of his election victory on Tuesday, Rudd told the Liberals in Parliament to support the legislation in the national interest.

“We believe it’s in the national interest for Australia, the hottest and driest continent on the earth, to act,” Rudd said.

“My appeal to all members opposite is to get behind in a bipartisan spirit this necessary national reform — the biggest reform for the environment that this country has seen in its history,” he added.

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull supports the deal, and Liberal senator Gary Humphries said early Tuesday that he expected Turnbull would succeed in persuading his colleagues to back the deal.

If the legislation is again rejected, Rudd can call a snap election early next year on the issue of climate change. His center-left party is leading the conservative Liberals in opinion polls and would likely win such an election convincingly.

The government plan would institute a tax on industries’ carbon emissions starting in 2011 and limit Australia’s overall pollution. The government wants to slash Australia’s emissions by up to 25 percent below 2000 levels by 2020 if the United Nations can agree on tough global targets at a Copenhagen summit in December.

The price of producing carbon dioxide will start at 10 Australian dollars per metric ton ($10.15 per U.S. ton) but would escalate a year later .

Rudd said he wants the legislation passed as an example to the world before he attends the Copenhagen summit.

“The world is also watching what happens here,” Rudd told reporters. “Global momentum toward an outcome on climate change, we’re all part of that.”

The minor opposition Greens party was critical that the proposed deal doubled to $1.5 billion the amount of compensation paid to the coal industry which is Australia’s main export.

About 20 protesters who want deeper cuts to Australia’s carbon emissions than the government is proposing interrupted Rudd for several seconds in Parliament by blowing whistles from the public gallery. Security guards escorted them out.