The States should use today's COAG meeting to urge the Federal Government to both lift its carbon pollution reduction targets and compensate the States ahead of polluters, otherwise front-line jobs in health, education and essential services are at risk, according to the Australian Greens.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said new research from the Australia Institute showed that State Governments had been ignored by Canberra in drawing up the CPRS in favour of big polluters.

"The CPRS will give big polluters a massive $16 billion in compensation. Health and education should get precedence."

"Instead of handing out billions of dollars to help polluters, we should be investing in making our hospitals, schools and police stations more energy efficient, reducing carbon costs by reducing carbon emissions."

"The CPRS legislation means that State Governments will be faced with a $2.2 billion increase in budget costs for hospitals, schools and emergency services by 2013-2014, rising to $5.5 billion by 2020."

Senator Brown said that the Government's climate legislation was fundamentally flawed because its targets were too low to stop the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef and the Murray Darling Basin, but at the same time gave huge amounts of compensation to polluting industries.

"The CPRS locks in failure."

Further information: Russell Kelly 0438376082 ends

NB: Interview available online at http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2008/s2614286.htm