Brian Walters explains the Carbon Pollution Reduction scheme, particularly the way it turns emission permits into property rights which may hamstring more robust emission controls down the track.
Brian Walters is a prominent Melbourne senior legal counsel, former President of Liberty Victoria and a candidate for the Greens for the seat of Melbourne in the 2010 Victorian State election,
“One of the things about this scheme which I’m not sure has had much coverage, but in my view is the worst part of the scheme, is that it makes it impossible for future Governments to ratchett up the targets. That’s because under a section of the legislation the carbon pollution permits, won’t just be permits, they will be property rights. You’ve all seen ‘The Castle’ and you know the Government of Australia under the constitution can’t acquire property except on just terms. So you give this property right to carbon polluters – it’s a social evil – give them the right to do this evil thing and make it a property right and it means that future governments down the track can’t acquire those property rights or diminish those property rights except on just terms.
Now that is scandalous. And it is not what was proposed by Garnault or by anybody. We are left with a scheme that will make things worse”
Still photo and Transcript
http://www.flickr.com/photos/takver/4472556241/
Picket of Peter Batchelor’s Ministerial Office
http://indymedia.org.au/2010/03/29/climate-activists-picket-peter-batchelor-calling-for-climate-jobs-not-new-coal
Duration : 0:4:39
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