Brendon Nelson is incredibly well spoken, i know people who voted labor this year in order to get liberals to elect some new ministers and "freshen up" seems they are going to do just that, im pretty confident Rudd will only last one term, even if liberals didn't have the strongest leader

Post by Adam
This forum really does give a good idea about how hardcore it must be to actually be a politician. To make decisions for the good of a country with all it's various interest groups, and then to be liked on top of all that, and usually not make as much money personally as you might in the private sector, it's a wonder anyone even bothers.

Totally agree - we're all very quick to criticise anyone in a high political position, but in reality it's impossible for them to please everyone. It must be tough knowing that no matter what you do, you'll always be hated by at least some!

Post Last Updated:29.11.2007 at 22.05

he is signing it! i really must have overestimated rudds intelligence, i would really like to hear where we are getting this money from?

he is signing it! i really must have overestimated rudds intelligence, i would really like to hear where we are getting this money from?

No idea, his real expenditure is going to be a lot more then he really announced. There are a heck of a lot of hidden costs in there.

Amazing.

Kevin Rudd is determined to ratify the Kyoto Protocol despite knowing it will probably cost us billions:

AUSTRALIA faces high penalties for exceeding its greenhouse-gas emission targets under the Kyoto Protocol, Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd says

We are currently likely to ... overshoot our Kyoto target by one per cent, Mr Rudd told ABC Radio today....

(I)f we did overshoot by that one per cent, and thats not definite but thats, Im basing that on the most recent statement by the Australian Greenhouse Office, then youll be looking at penalty which related to the 60-million tonnes...

In fact, by ratifying Kyoto, Rudd will instantly commit us to paying a $160 million fine unless we manage to get back under our target. Thats based on the European price last week of $26.85 for carbon credits for each tonne of CO2.

But if our emissions in fact keep growing, so will our fines. And to think New Zealand could have warned us:

The New Zealand Treasury estimates New Zealands Kyoto liability currently stands at NZ$708 million.

In fact, Japan, Italy and Spain should all have been warning enough:

Japan, Italy and Spain face fines of as much as $33 billion combined for failing to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions as promised under the Kyoto treaty.

So why is Rudd signing away our cash?

And you thought a little alarmism in a good cause wouldnt hurt:

VICTORIAN families face paying hundreds of dollars more on their energy bills as climate change policies flow through to households.

The State Government yesterday confirmed electricity and gas prices would jump from January 1, bumping up annual bills by as much as 17.6 per cent.

If someone from the government mentions global warming, check your wallet.

i dont understand why he is doing this, nobody there is stupid, there must be some hidden agenda there, public pressure alone wouldn't be enough for him to make it his first priority, he could of delayed this

He's a populist leader, I'd suggest it is enough.

Not everything is about monies. A friend of mine at the Department of Sustainability and Environment said that Australia signing the Kyoto has placed significant pressure on China. Apparently China is feeling it hardcore.

Also, I think we should pay more for energy and much much more for water. The current cost of water really doesn't reflect it's worth. While high energy costs would hurt lower-income households, it would definitely communicate the need for everyone to conserve electricity as much as possible.

I read today that it is unlikely Australia would have to actually pay the fines for being 1% over because heavy fines would actually discourage countries from joining the 2012 agreement. Not that we should be banking on that, but it might alleviate some of your concerns.

Not to sound like a tree huggin' hippy, I feel the environment really is the most important issue facing mankind today, if it means we have to suffer hardship to fix the problems we caused, then so be it. The outcome may not be as drastic as predicted, but man, what if it's worse? I think it's worth every effort to prevent that.

it can be prevented without signing kyoto, the fines cud be put to the environment, and ofcourse we have to pay them, kyoto is a legally binding contract