AGRICULTURE will be among the top three priorities addressed by Opposition amendments to the Government's emissions trading scheme, but the new man drawing up those changes says it's too soon to say whether agriculture will be a deal breaker or not.
Queensland Liberal MP and opposition spokesman for minerals and energy, Ian Macfarlane, has been thrust into the job of drawing up the Opposition's amendments after Andrew Robb took temporary leave to seek treatment for depression.
He told Rural Press this week that the Opposition wants to see agriculture excluded from the CPRS, while still eligible for offsets - the same way that farming is treated by the proposed Waxman Markey emissions trading Bill being debated in the United States.
Mr Macfarlane said the Opposition was also concerned about the impact of the Government's proposed scheme on food processors like dairy and meat plants, which were very export oriented and energy intensive.
He said the amendments for food processors would look at improving the competitive position of those industries.
But he conceded he hadn't put together the amendments yet so it was too early to say what areas may or may not be "deal breakers".
"There are key provisions that we want serious provisions on and agriculture is one of those," Mr Macfarlane said.
"Agriculture is in the top three or four priority issues - I'll let the party room decide whether it's a deal breaker or not.
"Between the rural Liberal members and the National party there's a large number of people with agriculture at the top of their list and I'm certainly one of those.
"Agriculture is a key area in the scheme that will need amendments if it is not to decimate the viability of rural industries."
Mr Macfarlane said he was concerned the Government may not want to fix the problems he believes have been "so graphically identified with the scheme".
"We're being confronted now by a government who, for whatever reason, is rushing towards putting an ETS in place before the rest of the world…and it's a scheme that's at odds with what most other countries are doing."
Mr Macfarlane says he is optimistic there would be enough in the overall amendments for them to get the support of his National party colleagues.
He acknowledged though that it would be a big behind-closed-doors battle, but he wasn't daunted by that.
"What I'm saying to them is at least afford me the opportunity to put forward the amendments and then let's have a discussion," Mr Macfarlane said.
The Opposition amendments will be put to the party room in the first week back for parliament, which resumes on October 19.
Mr Macfarlane was meeting with advisors from the department of climate change in Sydney yesterday to get a better picture of the regulations which will guide the emissions trading legislation.
Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong, said this week if the Opposition puts forward amendments "we will have a discussion" and acknowledged the Bill would not go through if there was not support for those amendments within the Coalition party room.
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