Greens Leader Bob Brown has offered new Prime Minister Julia Gillard a solution to the impasse on the emissions trading scheme. If Labor is re-elected, the Greens would help the government pass a carbon tax through the Senate within three months of polling day, Senator Brown said.
According to him, the Greens offer would hold off on setting targets for emission reduction until there is a global agreement on climate change, but would place a $23 per tonne cost on carbon. The plan is similar to the idea put forward by Professor Ross Garnaut, the government's former top adviser on climate change.
"But it doesn't bring in, at the outset, a carbon trading scheme," he said.
"It leaves that option open and it therefore doesn't become prescriptive about targets, which have been a stumbling block in the past."
Senator Brown said Ms Gillard should act fast on the issue of climate change.
"She cited getting a carbon price in her first speech on Thursday as one of her priorities, and she knows, like all of us do, that quick action on climate change is wanted," he said.
The senator believes the new prime minister could make a positive stand on the issue.
"I think Kevin Rudd with Penny Wong just simply failed to get together with the Greens and make the success that we could have had last year," he said.
"They were not motivated to do so, the signs were clear all the way through that they didn't see the Greens as good options, they preferred to go to the Coalition."