Rudd changes stance on ETS bill (perhaps)

The Opposition are pouncing on comments by Kevin Rudd on CNN about the relative timing of the ETS bill. Just for laughs, check out the language our leader uses in a formal interview (an embarrassment to Australia wherever he goes):

"The government I lead was only elected 18 months or so ago, we ratified the Kyoto Protocol immediately and we are into these negotiations big time," he said ["Into these negotiations big time"? Oh, please - Ed].

"But you know something, our domestic emissions trading legislation was also voted down by our Senate a very short time ago.

"That doesn't impede me from being active in these negotiations and my observation of President Obama is it doesn't impede him either."

The Opposition's spokesman for the Environment, Greg Hunt, has jumped all over that statement.

"The Prime Minister is telling Australians one thing at home and telling Americans another time abroad," he said.

"It's absolutely clear as we've always maintained that we should get on and work on an international agreement that should occur before rather than after we finalise an emissions trading scheme in Australia, because we won't know what the form of the scheme should be until we know what the rest of the world is doing.

"I actually think today's statement to the Americans on CNN by Kevin Rudd takes away his own argument for a system before the world comes to an agreement.

We shall see. More likely, the Krudd spin cycle will deal with that little misunderstanding, and we will be back to square one by tomorrow morning.

Read it here.