LABOR today introduced its own bill into Parliament to ratify the Kyoto protocol on climate change.
Opposition environment spokesman Kelvin Thomson said the bill was proof there was only one political party in Australia serious about tackling climate change.
"This is a bill which tells Australian farmers that we care about the impact of droughts and floods on them," he told parliament.
"We care about those CSIRO projections that say that increasing temperatures will lead to increased severity and increased frequency of droughts and floods in the years ahead."
Mr Thomson called on the Government to support the legislation which would give legal effect to Australia's Kyoto target.
More than 100 countries have ratified the treaty.
"This is a bill which tells the Australian people and the rest of the world that the Labor Party believes in being good international environmental citizens," he said.
"We need to support the Kyoto protocol.
"We need to be good and responsible international environmental citizens.
"It is in our interests and the interests of the entire world."
Debate on the bill was adjourned.
The Associated Press
