PM refuses to risk coal jobs to combat global warming

[ go Johnny go .... go ?! ]

Prime Minister John Howard has ruled out any response to global warming that would harm the jobs of coal miners.

British economist Sir Nicholas Stern wrote an influential report on the issue and is meeting both Mr Howard and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd today.

He has called for Australia to cut its greenhouse emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, but Mr Howard has rejected any change that would put coal miners out of work.

"We should play to our natural advantages and I'm simply not going to agree to prescriptions that are going to damage the future of the Australian economy and I'm not going to agree to prescriptions that are going to cost the jobs of Australian coal miners," he said.

Mr Howard says Sir Nicholas makes a valuable contribution to the climate change debate, but his opinions should not be viewed as "holy writ".

"Some of the views that he's expressed I agree with; some I have reservations about; some I believe if implemented literally would do great damage to the Australian economy," he said.

"When it comes to the decision of this Government, uppermost in our mind will be the national interest, not the views of any one individual, however eminent he may be regarded by some."

Mr Howard has told Parliament he believes it would be economically damaging to cut its greenhouse emissions by 60 per cent by 2050.

"It would cost thousands of jobs in the Australian coal industry; it would in fact put back technological progress towards clean coal technology because of its impact on the Australian economy," he said.

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