Prime Minister John Howard has reaffirmed the government's opposition to the Kyoto Protocol on climate change on the day the pact came into effect.
The opposition used Question Time to put more pressure on the government over its refusal to join the treaty which has been signed by 141 countries.
Labor leader Kim Beazley asked Prime Minister John Howard about conflicting comments on climate change from two government ministers.
He read one media report quoting Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane as saying he did not know whether greenhouse emissions caused climate change.
Another quoted Environment Minister Ian Campbell saying there was a need to engage sceptics who did not believe climate change was real.
"I think they are both splendid ministers and of course I agree with them both," Mr Howard answered.
"This government does not believe it is in Australia's interests to sign the Kyoto Protocol."
Mr Howard said joining Kyoto would mean major polluters including China, India and Indonesia would not be subject to the same penalties and restrictions Australia would face.
That would jeopardise Australian jobs and industry, he said.
"Until such time as the major polluters of the world, including the United States and China, are made part of the Kyoto regime it is next to useless and indeed harmful for a country such as Australia to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol," Mr Howard said.
"There are only four or five countries in the world that are on track to meet their Kyoto emission reduction targets. One of those countries is Australia, another is New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Germany I understand is close.
"We are part of an arrangement whereby through our own domestic policy we are able to reduce emissions and indeed to be performing as well as any other country in the world in meeting our targets."
Treasurer Peter Costello said there would be no economic benefits for Australia in signing Kyoto.
"We will play our part ... but we will not be part of a one-sided agreement which would handicap the Australia economy," he said.
In a rare move, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley later used a section of the standing orders to ask a question of one of his own MPs.
He asked Labor's environment spokesman Anthony Albanese to detail why priority should be given to his private member's bill which aims to compel the government to ratify Kyoto.
"Whilst the rest of the world can celebrate, Australia can only lament this lost opportunity," Mr Albanese said.
"The reason why my bill should be prioritised is because climate change is the number one environmental challenge facing the global community."
He also said Australia would be restricted in benefiting from economic opportunities from Kyoto, and renewable energy projects in Australia would continue to move offshore.
AAP