CANBERRA—The Rudd Labor Government remains committed to a 2010 start date for an emissions trading scheme, says Agriculture Minister Tony Burke.
Mr Burke re-stated the Government's election pledge amid growing speculation that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Climate Change Minister Penny Wong may be flexible with the 2010 timeframe.
"The election commitment was made as to 2010 and it remains our intention to be able to do that," Mr Burke told reporters.
Mr Rudd yesterday repeatedly said that 2010 was the Government's "ambition", without making a full commitment to the pre-election timetable set by Labor.
Using the same language today, Senator Wong said the Government was willing to take all views on board.
"That's the ambition, we said that before the election, we recognise we have to get moving on this," she told the Fairfax Radio Network.
"Obviously, we'll listen to what people have to say but that remains the ambition."
Debate on how to act to address the problem of climate change has gathered momentum following the release last week of the report by Mr Rudd's chief climate change adviser, Ross Garnaut.
Professor Garnaut wants a broad-based emissions trading scheme in place by 2010 but there are fears from some sectors of the economy about the potential cost implications, both for business and consumers.
Mr Burke said farmers would face some serious consequences from climate change and cabinet today decided to boost research funds to help them adapt to the challenges ahead.
A report released yesterday by the nation's top scientists found exceptionally hot years - which used to occur once every 22 years - would occur every one or two years.
"It's clear now that if we fail to act on climate change, we fail Australia's farmers," Mr Burke said.
The Government will now spend $46.2 million on its climate change research program, tripling its initial $15 million commitment.
The extra funds will come from the $60 million climate change adaptation partnerships program.
Mr Burke said the research and development was necessary to help farmers both mitigate greenhouse pollution and adapt to global warming.
"(The work is) to make sure they can deal with challenges posed by climate change without at any stage having to be faced with reductions in production," he said.
As it grapples with its response to the Garnaut report, Mr Burke said the Government was still working through the issues associated with agriculture being part of any carbon trading scheme.
"The particular challenges for agriculture go to the issues, first of all, how do you accurately account for emissions that come from a farm, and secondly, dealing with the number of different sites that you'd be trying to measure that for.
"There are particular measurement challenges that we're working through."
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