Throw another alarmist dream on the barbie:
Sydney — Australia’s Labor government Tuesday dumped plans for carbon trading as it gears up for an election later this year it wants to fight on local issues like health and education.
The Opposition Liberal Party has risen in the opinion polls by portraying Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s cap-and-trade scheme as a ‘great big new tax’ and had the support of the Greens in blocking enabling legislation passing through Parliament.
The Greens opposed the scheme because they considered its emissions-reduction targets too small.
The failure of December’s Copenhagen conference dampened the enthusiasm of many Australians to take unilateral action on climate change.