The response to the “Stop The ETS” petition launched by Senator Barnaby Joyce, my colleague and Leader of the Nationals in the Senate, has seen more than 13,000 signatures added in less than a fortnight.

Barnaby says it has been amazing to watch the names being added since the petition was launched on his website on November 9. As soon as the petition is mentioned on radio hundreds of names appear. My Senate colleagues Fiona Nash and John Williams have supported the petition with links from their websites and together with all Nationals MPs and Senators we have made our position clear from day one: this ETS is a massive new tax and working families and regional Australia will bear the brunt of it.

So many of those signing have also expressed their desire in writing or with a telephone call to our offices to have this tax stopped.

In his speech to the Senate on 19 November Barnaby asked if sea-level rises would be affected by the emissions trading scheme. Even if you believe everything about the global warming debate, the answer is: categorically, no. Will species extinction be exacerbated if Australia does not take on the ETS? Categorically, no. Will polar icecaps melt if Australia does or does not takes on the ETS? There is no relationship whatsoever. Will the droughts of southern Australia be brought to a conclusion or extended by anything Australia does with the ETS? The answer is: no

There are discussions between the Government and the Opposition about amendments to the bills and in my speech I put this position very clearly on the record: “Those amendments will not change anything. They will not change those three key things: that it is a massive new tax; it is going to hit regional Australia harder than anywhere else; and, if the rest of the world is not on board, it is not going to make the slightest bit of difference to the climate—not any.”

As Barnaby says: "There are only a few days to go before the Senate must vote on this insidious new tax and we must vote no."

I know most of you have already signed the petition but if you haven't, here is the link http://www.barnabyjoyce.com.au/Issues/Petition/tabid/99/Default.aspx