Australia's emissions trading scheme voted down second time

CANBERRA, Dec. 2 — Australian Senate has rejected the government's emissions trading scheme a second time on Wednesday after more than 40 hours of debate in the upper house.

The Senate voted 41 to 33 to reject legislation setting up the carbon pollution reduction scheme, giving Labor Party a trigger for a double dissolution election.

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong has seen the 40-plus hours' debate in vain with a package of 11 bills setting up the carbon pollution reduction scheme be defeated.

"You do not tackle climate change unless you change your economy," Senator Wong told the upper house on Wednesday. She said "This is a reform, this is a big reform. You have to make polluters pay."

She said the Rudd government is ensuring through the emissions trading scheme that the majority of assistance goes to Australian households. And Australia needs to make their own bid with other nations on the world stage.

Senators who voted against the government said the vote was a win for commonsense.

However, outside the Parliament House, a climate change activist told Xinhua he was disappointed at the voting result. " This is a wrong decision, this would mean losers of tens of millions of Australians."

"We have to save this planet, so that we'll be able to stay. If we don't fix it, in four or five years' time, finish. No more. It' s really that urgent," he said. (PNA/Xinhua)

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