'Allo, 'allo is anybody home? A regional response to the Rudd Government ETS

I read this week that Labor's heartland is objecting to Rudders' emissions trading scheme because it would mean severe job loss in parts of regional Australia.
Hello? Is anybody home? Even a duffer like myself can figure out that regional Oz will also feel the direct effect of climate change more heavily than most, because metro-orientated governments right across the country will give less funding and less on the ground help when dwindling river flows, groundwater and soil salinity, coastal land loss, severe storm damage, bushfires, major widespread flooding and the rest take a huge toll on regions like the NSW North Coast.
It makes more sense for regions to take an economic hit now, in the hope of lessening the much harder hits that climate change will deal out in the future to local residents.
Come on, La Trobe, Gladstone, Newcastle and The Isa - suck it up and think of your grandkids!
After all, it's not all bad news - export quality black coal gets an easy ride under the ETS as far as I can tell.