Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has urged opposition lawmakers to back a compromise deal on legislation that would curb the amount of greenhouse gas pollution that Australia emits.
A day after dozens of protesters blockaded the entrance to Parliament House, demanding heavy cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, Rudd released details of a deal negotiated with the opposition Liberal Party that increases financial assistance to major polluters and ensures that farmers are not taxed for the methane produced by livestock.
On Monday, over 100 protesters were arrested when they refused to budge from their sit-down demonstration outside Parliament House, Australian television reported.
They were calling for the government to commit to a 40 percent reduction in year 2000 emission levels by 2020.
The deal unveiled by Rudd and Climate Change Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday included funding for the coal and electricity sectors to help with the costs they will face under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
"Today we stand ready to take that next step for Australia, to move beyond our Kyoto commitments and deliver a scheme that will deliver Australia a low carbon pollution future," Rudd told reporters outside Parliament House.
The detail of the greenhouse gas legislation has been a divisive political issue in Australia for several months.
The senate rejected similar legislation in a vote in August with only the governing Labour Party's 32 senators supporting the bills in the 76-seat senate.
Liberal lawmakers, including its 37 senators, are deeply divided on the legislation and on Tuesday began arguing at a meeting behind closed doors about whether the party should accept the deal.
On the second anniversary of his election victory on Tuesday, Rudd told the Liberals in Parliament to support the legislation in the national interest.
"Fact one: Australia is one of the hottest and driest continents on earth. Fact two: Australia will be hit hardest and fastest by climate change," he said during a media conference to outline details of the proposed legislation.
"Those two facts mean that the only responsible course of action open to parliamentarians today is to vote for action on climate change.
Failing to act today is to roll the dice on our children's future. As Prime Minister of Australia, I will not take that risk with the future," he added.
Rudd wants the scheme passed this week ahead of next month's Copenhagen climate change summit.
APTN