‘President Obama has killed off an emissions trading scheme for the US and the Gillard government should immediately follow suit in order to save Australia’s manufacturing and processing exporters,’ said The Nationals’ Senator Ron Boswell today.

‘If an economy the size of the United States has decided it can’t go ahead with an ETS, then it would be totally reckless for the Gillard government to proceed.’

‘Our secondary manufacturing and processing industry is already at a tipping point with the high dollar and high cost of finance. To add a carbon price on top of that without the US doing the same, would be literally the end for many Australian export businesses.’

‘The Prime Minister could end the uncertainty over a carbon price today by following Barack Obama’s lead in declaring an end to an emissions trading scheme.’

‘Labor must send a clear signal in the wake of Obama’s statements.  If the government is still keen to go ahead with a carbon price in a trading system, then they should say so loud and clear so that Australian business can tell their employees and suppliers that there is no future for their business.’

Senator Boswell said that he had spoken with many businesses which were just hanging on in the wake of the high dollar and cost of money.  ‘If you then put a carbon price on top of that, when our competitors like the US are not, then these businesses are saying, what’s the point?’

‘A recent Galaxy poll showed that 87 per cent were in favour of tackling climate change if there was no additional cost.  140,000 have cancelled their green power contracts in the last year.  The country is simply not prepared to back an emissions trading scheme that will inevitably cost them in terms of higher power bills, jobs and exports.’

‘The business sector wants certainty.  If Australia gets an ETS the certainty they’ll get is failure.  The only good certainty can be delivered today by Prime Minister Gillard saying no ETS for us, either.’

‘The Americans have left the carbon price table.  They couldn’t stomach the main course of higher energy costs.  Australia is still sitting down ready to indulge in a solitary binge that just lets other countries take away your economic future.’

ENDS