By Xinhua,
Canberra : Australian Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said here on Sunday that the government should launch advertising campaign to inform the public of measures to counter the threat of global warming.
“We do have to ensure that people understand what the emissions trading scheme will do and what climate change will mean,” Wong told the Ten Network.
“This is an enormous and complex policy challenge so of course government does have a responsibility to ensure the community is informed about it,” she said.
Wong said Special Minister of State Senator John Faulkner has already issued very rigorous guidelines which include an auditor-general’s sign-off.
“So whatever is done by the government will be in compliance with those guidelines.”
Wong also urged the federal opposition to support its push for an emissions trading scheme.
She said the opposition, as the alternative government, at some point had to make some hard decisions on the climate change front.
“What we would say to them is this, if you’re serious about confronting the challenge of this generation, that is climate change, if you’re serious about ensuring the national interest, the economic interest of the nation are observed and the future of our children are considered, then I hope they will join with us inputting forward (an emissions trading scheme),” she added.