Fed: Hyperactive end to a hyperactive year
By comparison, Turnbull's task is a high wire act without a net where he will have to do battle with the coalition's clique of climate change deniers and the wayward but single-minded posse of Nationals senators who have already defied him twice.19 Dec 2008 12:16 PM
CANBERRA, Dec 19 AAP - In a hyperactive end to the year, Kevin Rudd squeezed in another pre-Christmas lightning visit to troops in Afghanistan amid a flurry of big ticket domestic announcements.
This week, it was the turn of climate change, the toughest policy challenge of all for the government.
On Monday, Rudd exerted his authority, stepping in at the last minute and unveiling the government's white paper proposal for a low target range for a carbon emissions reduction scheme, starting in 2010.
Climate Change Minister Penny Wong looked on as Rudd told the National Press Club of Australia's ambitions within the constraints of the global financial crisis.
It was barely a year ago the newly-elected Rudd signed the Kyoto protocol to much fanfare and travelled with Wong to Bali to deliver the news personally to a climate change conference.
The proposal contains a massive compensation package for industry and sections of the community, with a modest goal of a cut in carbon pollution levels of between five and 15 per cent below 2000 levels by the end of 2020.
Five per cent is the minimum and the increase to 15 per cent will depend on a global agreement on emissions reduction at the next United Nations meeting in Copenhagen next December.
The white paper, which in large part endorses the findings of the Garnaut report on climate change, has been roundly condemned by green groups and many in the wider community with a more muted response from business.
There was anger at the low emissions cut and outrage at the level of compensation for industry, and that a carbon cost will only be imposed on the top 1,000 polluting companies while the rest get a free pass.
The Greens said the government had given up on saving the Great Barrier Reef while a coalition of 60 groups staged simultaneous national protests with a pledge for a continuing campaign of "civil disobedience".
Perhaps the most colourful - and memorable - of them was the demonstration in Adelaide where protesters pelted with shoes one of their own dressed as the prime minister.
There has also been widespread praise of the clever politics of the white paper which wedges Malcolm Turnbull and the coalition fair and square.
A former Howard government environment minister, Turnbull favoured signing Kyoto and is backing a scheme starting around 2012 to be informed by the Copenhagen meeting.
Rudd made it clear at the Press Club that 12 years of delay under the previous government had made the introduction of emissions trading all the more difficult.
But the issue could no longer be ignored because: "To do so would threaten the future of our people, our nation, and our planet".
He accused the coalition of looking for excuses not to act again and demanded the "real" Turnbull stand up.
Soon after the launch, Turnbull was quick to announce the opposition had commissioned an analysis of the white paper by the Centre for International Economics before responding in February.
Given the policy knots his predecessor Brendan Nelson tied himself in over climate change in July, resulting in his leadership being fatally wounded after he was rolled by the shadow cabinet, Turnbull will want to get it absolutely right.
He will be reluctant to oppose the government's softly-softly approach, particularly given the economic climate.
While Labor faces its own battle in bedding down the legislation and getting it through parliament.
With parliament in recess until February 3, and Rudd and many of his ministers planning to take a couple of weeks off, both the government and the opposition will be back at the coalface early in the new year.
The first big parliamentary issue will be the Senate inquiry into Labor's answer to Work Choices - the Fair Work Bill - which begins after Australia Day.
In the past week, we have had $4.7 billion of fast-tracked infrastructure projects announced and the release of a list of major projects nominated by the government's Infrastructure Australia.
The government has also announced an overhaul of quarantine services, launched a green paper on major electoral reform, announced a new High Court judge and dumped Telstra from its broadband network tender process.
Rudd and his ministers have sought to tie up loose ends and respond to the myriad of reviews set up during the first half of the year.
About the only report not delivered is the response to the April 2020 ideas summit which has been put off until the new year.
