Photo: © 2010 AAP/TRACEY NEARMY

Rudd blamed "political realities" - a hostile Senate and a lack of international action post-Copenhagen - for the decision to mothball the scheme.

In December, Rudd accused those who wanted to delay action on climate change "because they don't want their country to be the first to act" of showing "absolute political cowardice" and an "absolute failure of leadership".

The irony of Rudd's decision hasn't escaped the Herald Sun's noted climate change denier, Andrew Bolt, who asks why Rudd didn't "throw everything into cutting a deal" to get the scheme passed?", or "fight like sin … as President Barack Obama fought to get his health reforms through his Senate?"