04 July 2008
The Garnaut Draft Report’s recognition of the importance for Australia, as an exporting nation, of the big resource, energy and metallurgical mining industries, is welcomed by the Australian Workers' Union - our biggest resource and energy union.
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" Our export industries are characterised by three things - energy intensity, foreign ownership and regional concentration," Paul Howes, AWU National Secretary, said after Professor Garnaut released his Draft Report today.
Australia must not be wrong-footed on Climate Change
" If we are to realise our full export potential, and if we are to grow our regional economies, we must make sure we do not wrong-foot ourselves with these Climate Change reforms."
Mr Howes said the AWU will over the next few weeks release a couple of major statements to respond to the Garnaut Draft Report.
" We are not going to jump in too quickly with knee jerk responses.
" Our research people will spend the next few days analysing Garnaut and reporting back to our leadership the implications of this Draft Report for our 135,000 members and their families.
" As a union with most of its membership living and working in the resource and energy rich regions of Australia we consider our members are on the front line of this debate.
" We understand that Australia will be hurt hard by inaction on climate change.
Certainty and consistency needed by the workforce in the front-line of Climate Change
" But Professor Garnaut's report released today estimates working Australians will face job losses - and if we don't get it right the potential for wage cuts of between 7.8% and 14.8%, depending on the severity of climate change-induced drought.
" Our union will want to argue for a level of certainty and consistency for the industries and the working families affected by emissions trading issues.
" We will want to be assured that the families affected have a special place in the debate.
" And we will want our government to be active at the global level arguing that Climate Change threats do not stop at our borders, on our shores - so any burden of environmental change must include all nations."
Our good jobs should not be exported to countries with lower green standards
Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes said more government support might be needed for industries such as aluminium.
Mr Howes said he feared jobs going to countries that had less-stringent environmental laws than Australia.
"It's good that Prof Garnaut recognises the impact on low-income households but the last thing you want to see is an increase in low-income households through people losing their jobs," he said.
Read earlier AWU commentary on Climate Change
USA must pressure China to adopt decent global emissions trading standards
AWU wants Govt to look at plan to trap CO2 under depleted offshore gas fields
All electoral matter is authorised by Paul Howes, National Secretary