Earth Equity News

Australia's Conservative Opposition Gears Up to Challenge Rudd on Climate. By Rob Taylor, Reuters, January 14, 2010. "Australia's conservative opposition has opened its campaign for this year's elections, targeting the environment as a key battleground in its attempt to stop Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gaining a second term. But while new conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott released a series of green initiatives, he stopped short of announcing a key climate change policy -- prompting one environment group on Friday to accuse him of 'cheap political opportunism.' Abbott is seen by many voters as a climate change skeptic after becoming opposition leader last December on the back of opposing the government's climate change policy of a carbon emissions trading scheme... Rudd will most likely call an election in the second half of 2010, and is strongly tipped to govern for another three years on the back of a growing economy that has emerged largely unscathed from the global financial crisis. Opinion polls showing Rudd's Labor maintaining an election-winning lead and surprisingly strong job figures on Thursday will reinforce his government's popularity."