Fielding backs ETS delay

More and more senators appear to be favouring a delay in the passing of the ETS legislation. The latest to go public is Family First senator Steve Fielding:

Senator Fielding says he would support any move by the Coalition to defer the vote.

"If they want to delay the emissions trading scheme to after Copenhagen, then I am on that side at this stage," he said. "The Rudd Government hasn't convinced me that we should be pushing through an emissions trading system before Copenhagen."

The Government wants its legislation passed in the Senate by June because it says it needs to give business certainty. But Senator Xenophon says that is too soon, but he has not backed delaying the vote until December either.

"I've told the Government and the Opposition that I see it as virtually impossible to get this legislation through by the end of June," he said. "I think it's better to come back after the winter break and we'll have a better idea then what's happening in the US."

Guess the chances of Rudd getting this through now in June are about zero.

Read it here.