Australia's senate voted down a planned emission trading scheme yesterday, dashing last-ditch efforts by Kevin Rudd, prime minister, to have it enshrined in law before the Copenhagen conference.
The government will reintroduce the legislation to parliament for a third time in February but the defeat thwarts Mr Rudd's hopes of taking the lead in global efforts on climate change.
The vote followed a political turnround on Tuesday when a new plain-spoken leader took over the main opposition party, pledging not to back the legislation. Tony Abbott said earlier this year that the argument for climate change is “absolute crap” and that he was unconvinced by the science. But on Tuesday he played down the remarks, describing them as “a bit of hyperbole”.