OPPOSITION DELAYS EMISSIONS TRADING BILLS --

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CANBERRA 000591 NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/EGC TALLEY, S/SECC STERN E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2019 TAGS: SENV KGHG ECON AS SUBJECT: OPPOSITION DELAYS EMISSIONS TRADING BILLS -- CORRECTED COPY: PARA NUMBERING REF: A. CANBERRA 492 ¶B. CANBERRA 437 ¶C. CANBERRA 411 Classified By: Economic Counselor Edgard Kagan, Reasons 1.4(B)(D). ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Rudd government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) suffered an important defeat this week in the Senate as the Government was unable to force an early vote. This could allow the Opposition to either defeat it or defer a vote until next year (ref A). The Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) legislation, which the government had linked to the CPRS, was pushed back until August on June 18, signaling that success will elude the government during this parliamentary sitting. Our contacts believe that the government will return the legislation to the Senate in August, and it will pass then with a mix of amendments to secure Coalition support. A domestic political scandal has undermined Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull, and further weakened chances that he can corral skeptical Liberal Party senators to reach a coherent position this week. End Summary. Positions Set In Stone -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The key parties in the Senate have not changed their positions on the CPRS since May (ref A). The Liberal/National Coalition is still seeking to defer any vote on the CPRS until next year, after the Copenhagen negotiations and the development of national legislation in the U.S. Liberal Senator Eric Abetz introduced a motion on June 18 that recognized the importance of waiting until after the U.S. and UNFCCC negotiations process are well underway, and of referring the CPRS legislation to the Australian Productivity Commission to conduct a six month review of the CPRS to look at sectoral and regional impacts, as well as what will happen if no other country imposes a carbon price. The motion called for the deferral of any consideration of the current 11 separate bills that comprise the CPRS until after the Copenhagen process. Greens leader Bob Brown wants a vote this week to defeat the CPRS bills and strengthen the argument for much stronger emission reduction targets, which the Greens currently see as too low. The Nationals have maintained their hard line against the CPRS, and have promised to filibuster any attempt to vote on the legislation before Parliament shuts down for the winter break. Climate Change Minister Penny Wong continues to push for a vote this week, which would increase pressure on the Opposition as a defeat would give the government leverage over the Coalition in a double-dissolution scenario. Opposition leader Turnbull reminded industry of that fact on June 18 at a breakfast with members of the Business Council of Australia. A Bitter Harvest For Emissions Trading? -------------- ¶3. (SBU) If somehow the government is able to secure agreement to vote this week and the Liberals vote against them, the CPRS (and the MRET plan) will return in the August sittings. The stakes will be much higher then, as Turnbull reminded industry on June 18, because a joint sitting of Qreminded industry on June 18, because a joint sitting of Parliament following a dissolution would allow the bills to be passed in their current form without amending them to get additional concessions from the government. Wong offered a slight opening in press statements on June 19 when she said the government was open to negotiations over what amendments might be needed to get the Liberal party (which would be able to pass the bills despite opposition from Greens, Nationals, and Independents) on board. Or Time to Negotiate A Deal? -------------- ¶4. (C/NF) Many observers expect the Liberals will be ready to deal in August (ref A). Australian Coal Association CEO CANBERRA 00000591 002 OF 003 Ralph Hillman told a visiting group of U.S. energy analysts on June 18 that he expected the bills would fail this week but pass in August after negotiations with the Liberals, who are under pressure from industry to take the best deal they can get. Hillman was vague on whether acceptable concessions would include treating the coal industry as an emissions-intensive trade exposed sector under the legislation, but said that the perception is that there is a large gap between what the government plans to hand out to industry and households in terms of support and revenue it expects to raise, which would fit the coal industry's needs nicely. Australia Industry Greenhouse Network (AIGN) political advisor Emma Watts told econoff on June 19 that the break between now and August would provide a better chance for industry and the Liberals to define what they needed to sign on, opening up the possibility that August would see not a further delay but a vote on the bills. Australian Geothermal Energy Association CEO Susan Jeanes said that Turnbull was already signaling that the Liberals do not want to give the government an excuse to seek a double dissolution, and that a delay until August would give him time to work with the third of Liberal/National senators who are firmly opposed to the CPRS in any form. Jeanes also said that independent Nick Xenophon, who has pushed for an alternate "baseline and credit" scheme, continues to lobby industry to support his idea. A delay would provide more time for Xenophon to try and garner support for his alternate concept. Delay a Victory for Turnbull? -------------- ¶5. (C/NF) Stuart Eaton, advisor to Opposition Spokesman for Climate Change Andrew Robb, told econoff on June 22 that it was unlikely that the government could force a vote on the CPRS this week. Lacking a majority in the Senate, and with independent Senator Fielding indicating he would support a delay, the government and Greens could only force a vote if independent Nick Xenophon agreed. According to Eaton, Xenophon was unlikely to agree to a forced vote, but could agree to extending extra time to debate into next week. That might allow the government room to generate support for a vote, but more than likely would simply end the session without a vote on the CPRS. Eaton said that the period between now and August would be valuable in determining what amendments the Liberal Party would need to see to pass the bills. The Opposition would also be carefully watching developments in the U.S. closely over that period in setting their policy towards the CPRS in August. The Opposition appeared to win a victory on June 23 (after being defeated late in the day on June 22) by securing a re-ordering of Senate business that moved all other major legislation up ahead of the CPRS bills for debate starting on June 24. Climate Minister Wong's climate advisor Kristine Hickey told econoff on June 22 that the tactic was "fairly unprecedented" in parliamentary procedure, and that the government still Qin parliamentary procedure, and that the government still wanted debate this week but might not be able to secure it. By running out the clock on the CPRS bills, the Opposition will push debate into the August session and avoid, at least in their view, giving Rudd the leverage of a double-dissolution trigger. If the bills are defeated early in August, they would not return to the Senate calendar for three months, pushing any double-dissolution into next year and effectively delivering on Turnbull's pledge to wait until after Copenhagen and the U.S. Congress take up climate change legislation before voting on the bills. General public support for action on climate change remains high, however, and increased delays could further alienate voters being bombarded with increasingly dire warnings about the impacts of global warming. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: A failure to vote on the CPRS this week will be seen as a defeat for the Government, which continues to lack the Senate votes necessary to pass the legislation. While the chances of an eventual agreement may pick up as the country's attention focuses on Copenhagen and on progress on CANBERRA 00000591 003 OF 003 climate legislation in the U.S., the government will have a tougher task in marginalizing the hard core of opponents between now and August. End comment. CLUNE