By Nick Hollins

Senator Barnaby Joyce, leader of the National Party in the Senate

The leader of the National Party in the Australian Senate, Barnaby Joyce, said his party will not negotiate with the Government on the proposed emissions trading scheme, regardless of any amendments to the bill.

He said the ETS is a “massive new tax,” that will simply inspire moves toward tax evasion, and is unconvinced by the findings of climate scientists.

“I have a doubt as to whether the extent of global warming is there to the proportion that it’s affected by man. And if it is affected by man how much is it going to cost to fix it? Or would it be better just to deal with the problem and pay for the problem than try to fix the problem, because fixing the problem will most likely send you broke,” Senator Joyce said.

His constituency is south west Queensland, a regional area marked by drought and land disputes between farmers and mining companies. Some have said the Nationals should negotiate on the ETS to seek positive, potentially lucrative outcomes for regional Australia, such as sequestering carbon into the soil and reforestation. However, Senator Joyce says that such proposals were “never on the table.”

“Well you obviously would support amendments to try and alleviate the ridiculous consequences of the scheme. But when we get down to the end of, ‘Do you philosophically believe in an emissions trading scheme,’ then I don’t,” he said.

“I don’t believe we invented the wheel because we taxed people who walked. I don’t believe they invented the motor vehicle because they taxed horses. And I don’t believe that we can come up with a more carbon effective economy by taxing the absolute pants off everybody who’s walking the street.”

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Senator Joyce’s comments come as governments from across the world prepare to meet in Copenhagen to negotiate a coordinated climate response involving carbon taxes. Aside from offsets and other accounting tricks, the essential aim is to establish a price on carbon pollution so as to stabilize carbon levels in the atmosphere.

Libby Connors from the Queensland Greens said that Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull and Shadow Energy and Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane are trying to rebuild conservative forces in Australia to confront global realities.

“It’s the idea that conservatives can move forward and confront the reality of the global environmental crisis. Because of course, that’s exactly what conservatives have done in Great Britain and Europe. The Prime Minister of Denmark, [Lars Lokke Rasmussen], host of the Copenhagen talks, is a conservative,” she said.

In October, Malcolm Turnbull surprised the Liberal party room by linking his leadership to the climate change issue. The November 9th story ‘Malcolm and the Malcontents’ on the ABC’s Four Corners demonstrated that the coalition is still divided on the climate change issue.

Senator Joyce denied this division is undermining Malcolm Turnbull’s authority and leadership.

“Well I’m in the National party … so that is a question for people in the Liberal party about the Liberal party. And you know, I wish them all the best. The worst thing you can do in politics is jump over the fence when there’s an argument on and start telling the couple next door how you would solve their argument,” he said.

He also doesn’t believe the mixed messages on climate change from the coalition will harm their prospects in the next election.

“Look I believe in the liberty of the individual to express the views that they think, and hold and they think are worthwhile to ventilate for the betterment of the nation,” he said.

“I think it’s kind of crazy that we say, ‘Oh well, now the only view you’ll have is the view held by one particular person.’ That’s not the parliamentary process that I signed up for.”

However, Libby Connors said “the Turnbull camp’s divisions are very likely to see us with a double dissolution”, which will lead to an election with the Coaltion in “turmoil”.

“She [Four Corners reporter Sarah Ferguson] was focusing much more on the range of opinion and hostility, not just among the Nationals but amongst the Liberals. And I think that’s a valid point,” she said.

Nick Hollins is a reporter for the Wire.