Milne responds to Malcolm Farr's question re securing an ETS back under Rudd 1 - wouldn't that have put things in a better position than they are today, more support for stable emissions policy and Rudd kept position (stable govt).
"My job is not to secure government for the Labor Party, my job is to get strong action on climate change. And that is why I do what I can with whomever I can to make sure we get that outcome.
In terms of Labor, let me tell you this... Labor made a decision to negotiate only with the Coalition, because they wanted to brown down the scheme. They did not want to strengthen it. They wanted it to be browned down. They browned it down considerably, so that it's effect would have been a virtually irrelevant price that wouldn't have driven change.
At no stage did Kevin Rudd talk to the Greens or negotiate with us at all in that period. And after Copenhagen, the Greens went back to Labor, while Kevin Rudd was still the Prime Minister, with a compromise proposition that interesting was a $23 price and a hybrid scheme, not unlike what we now have.
Labor refused to even consider it, because, what we found out afterwards is the gang of four had decided to dump carbon pricing and instead pursue a super profits tax.
So much for any commitment to addressing 'the greatest moral challenge of our time'."
