Fed: Federal police to enforce greenhouse law without extra help
12 Jun 2009 2:29 AM
MELBOURNE, June 12 AAP - The thin blue line of the federal police will soon be stretched to breaking point as the force begins to prosecute climate change offences, a union has warned.
Australian Federal Police agents will enforce new greenhouse emissions laws under the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) but will do so without extra resources, AFP Association chief Jim Torr told News Limited newspapers.
"The government is effectively saying to us, 'Ignore other crime types'," he said.
The association had tried repeatedly to discuss the issue with Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, without success, Mr Torr said.
According to Interpol, the carbon market will be a honey pot for organised crime, with rorts including under-reporting of carbon emissions and bogus offset schemes offering the lure of big cash.
"If someone is rorting it by even 1 per cent a year, we're talking about many, many millions of dollars," Mr Torr said.
Ms Wong's office said AFP agents would be expected to enter premises and request paperwork to monitor firms' emissions reductions on the orders of the Australian Climate Change Regulatory Authority.
She said the Department of Climate Change had spoken to the AFPA and the parties would talk again.
Legislation to establish the CPRS faces defeat in the Senate without the support of the opposition or key independents.
