Govt must commit to domestic clean coal, says Labor.


The Federal Opposition says the Government should be putting more effort into encouraging the development of clean coal technology in Australia.
On the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in the Philippines, Australia and China yesterday struck a deal to cooperate in developing technology to cut greenhouse gas emissions from coal fired power.
But Labor's resources and energy spokesman Chris Evans says the Government should be doing more for clean coal technology on the domestic front.
"It's an important acknowledgment in one sense, but talking the talk in China is not the same as walking the walk in Australia," he said.
"The Prime Minister needs to make the commitment to clean coal and put more resources into that in Australia rather than trying to take us down the nuclear path.
"The Government's not interested in that, they're only interested in trying to sell us a nuclear future."
The Federal Government has rejected the Labor attack on its domestic commitment to clean coal technology.
Industry and Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane says the Government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on clean coal technology.
"They don't want to debate nuclear energy, but nuclear energy will be part of the solution around the world in terms of supplying zero emission or low emission energy," he said.
"It will only be part of that solution, and along with the work that we're doing with China, Australia is leading the world in pioneering work to lower coal fired emissions here in Australia."
Mr Macfarlane says the Government is also investing in solar and other renewable energy, and leaving the nuclear option open.
"The Commonwealth Government has the balance right, there will be a suite of technologies required," he said.
Energy security treaty
Meanwhile, Prime Minister John Howard argued for nuclear energy to be maintained as an option when he signed an energy security pact at the East Asia Summit yesterday.
Mr Howard says the signing of the energy security pact will not have an immediate effect for Australia's uranium industry.
Sixteen regional leaders signed the energy declaration aimed at ensuring the security of energy supplies and finding alternatives to traditional fuels.
Mr Howard argued for nuclear energy to be maintained as an option and says he received support from the prime ministers of India and Singapore.
He says the signing of the energy pact reinforces the critical importance of energy security to all countries.
"Everybody is concerned about energy security and the signing of that declaration was a common acknowledgment by all of the participants in the meeting of its great importance," he said.
Also, Mr Howard says there is now a "spaghetti bowl" of Free Trade Agreement proposals being considered.
Mr Howard discussed Australia's ongoing free trade negotiations with China when he met the country's Premier on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit yesterday.
Australia also supported a Japanese proposal for a feasibility study for an east Asia trade bloc, but Mr Howard says the plan prompted a mixture of views.
"Some want it restricted, some want it broader, I think we've reached a situation where we have almost a spaghetti bowl of free trade proposals," he said.
"We shouldn't get hung up about architecture, I know people do, but in the end its the substance of the relationship, trading and otherwise, between countries that matters."