im back from two days off
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Gillard Wins Support of Australian Greens With Climate Committee
2010-09-01 06:36:17.628 GMT
By Gemma Daley and Robert Fenner
Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Australian Prime Minister Julia
Gillard won the support of the Greens Party should she form the
next government in exchange for setting up a climate-change
committee that would set a penalty for carbon emissions.
The Greens also agreed to work with Gillard's Labor Party
to ensure passage of the national budget, leader Bob Brown told
reporters in Canberra today. His party is seeking a
parliamentary debate on Australian troop deployments in
Afghanistan and restrictions on political donations.
"This is a new way of working," Gillard told reporters in
Canberra. "The fact that we were able to reach that agreement
shows we have worked in good faith and held good discussions."
The deal adds an extra seat in the lower house of
parliament for Gillard as she negotiates to form a government
following a deadlocked national election on Aug. 21. Labor
itself has so far won 71 seats in the 150-seat House of
Representatives, five short of a majority
"We have signed an agreement for the continuation of the
Gillard government," Brown said. "This agreement is a
replacement of both the Labor and Greens commitments to dealing
with climate change."
The accord shortened the odds on Labor retaining power
although the opposition coalition led by Tony Abbott remains the
favorite to form a government, according to bookmaker
Sportsbet.com.au. The odds on Gillard fell to A$2.50 for each
dollar wagered compared with A$3.20 before the deal. An Abbott
victory is paying A$1.50, it said in an e-mailed statement.
'Driver's Seat'
"The Greens will be in the driver's seat of any Gillard
government," Abbott told reporters in Canberra.
The proposed climate commission would be made up of
lawmakers and scientists to advise on the best way to charge
polluters for emissions. Gillard drew criticism in July when she
delayed climate-change action in the world's driest inhabited
continent until after 2012.
"We have set up a process that will set up a carbon price
and tackle climate change," Brown said. "It will be inclusive
and there will be other parties involved."
With 82 percent of the vote counted, Abbott's Liberal-
National coalition holds 73 seats in the lower house to Labor's
71 with one division still undecided, according to the
Australian Electoral Commission website.
Independent lawmakers Robert Oakeshott, Tony Windsor, Bob
Katter and Andrew Wilkie are in Canberra for talks with the main
parties as they try to decide who to back. They are scheduled to
meet Treasury Secretary Ken Henry today.
Gillard asked the independent lawmakers to release a
Treasury analysis of Labor's policies.
"We want to be transparent, we believe those costings
should be released publicly," she said.
For Related News and Information:
For Related News and Information:
Australian Election: TNI AUD ELECT <GO>
Australian Budget Stories TNI AUD BUD <GO>
Top Australia news: TOP AU <GO>
Australia economic snapshot: ESNP AU <GO>
Graph of Australian GDP growth: AUNAGDPY <Index> GP <GO>
--Editors: Iain Wilson, Bill Austin
To contact the reporters on this story:
Gemma Daley in Canberra at +61-2-9777-8683 or
gdaley@bloomberg.net;
Robert Fenner in Canberra at +61-2-9777-8679 or
rfenner@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Bill Austin at +813-3201-8952 or
billaustin@bloomberg.net
