Recession raises industrial relations spectre for Rudd | The Australian

Rudd is now faced with the diabolical choice of keeping core election promises on climate change and industrial relations and being seen to be holding on to ideological positions at the expense of Australian workers’ jobs.

Rudd feels heat as growth results embolden critics | smh.com.au

The chief executive of the Australian Industry Association, Heather Ridout, said the negative growth confirmed her call last week that the scheme be delayed for two years.

"The manufacturing sector, for example, which will have to make significant investments to reduce emissions, contracted by 4.7 per cent in the December quarter," she said.

The chief executive of the Minerals Council, Mitch Hooke, stepped up his demand to drop the scheme altogether. "The industry responsible for 50 per cent of Australia's export revenue is not after the kind of certainty the proposed ETS will provide," he said.

Six-month delay for ETS, Rudd says - Local News - News - General - The Canberra Times

"Our scheme is not proposed to be introduced until the end of 2010," Mr Rudd told the Fairfax Radio Network.

The government said last year the scheme would start on July 1, 2010.

TheHill.com - Not all senators warming to Obama cap-and-trade emissions proposal

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who opposed cap-and-trade last June, said that Obama’s plan would lead to an increase in energy costs and would drive American firms abroad.

“It really does say to manufacturing, ‘Go to China, where they have weaker environmental standards,’” Brown told The Hill. “And that’s a very bad message in bad economic times — in any economic times.”