OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott's climate change plan would inevitably become just as complicated as the Rudd government's much-maligned emissions trading scheme, according to an economist who last year conducted a review of greenhouse policy on behalf of the coalition.
Centre for International Economics director David Pearce said the apparent simplicity of the coalition plan would soon disappear if it were ever implemented, because so many technical aspects of the strategy had been left unresolved, The Australian Financial Review reports.
The cost of the scheme could also rise significantly once details such as penalties and assignment of risk were taken into account, he said.
Mr Pearce's claim undermines Mr Abbott's repeated statement that a key strength of his policy is that it will be far less complex then the ETS.
The comments come as the government's emissions trading legislation is to be voted on as early as this week.
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