Climate Change Key Issue in Australian Election

The Age...

The head of next month's crucial climate change conference and Indonesia's Environment Minister has supported the election of a Labor government, saying its plan to ratify the Kyoto Protocol would be a "heaven-sent" boost to the talks.

In extraordinary statements for an Indonesian minister, Rachmat Witoelar said he hoped "good environmental moves" prevailed out of Australia's election tomorrow.

"I have become good friends with Mr Howard so I wish him all the luck, but I understand that if Kevin Rudd gets elected it will be faster moving; I hope that it will be done."

As Bali is hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference to outline a successor to Kyoto, Mr Witoelar will be the president of the meeting and preside over all the conference's negotiations for the next year.

It will be a boost to have Australias ratification, it will help the world move on to make some really tough decisions, although the US stance is unlikley to change. I`m sure others from the US will be representing the position of a future Democratic administration.

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