ID :
197882
Thu, 07/28/2011 - 14:12
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/197882
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Carbon tax bills cautiously welcomed
SYDNEY (AAP) - July 28 - Australian environmental groups have cautiously welcomed draft legislation to adopt a carbon tax as a main plank in the government's strategy to slash harmful emissions.
The Australian Greens said the package of 14 draft bills was a good step forward, though deputy leader Christine Milne said her party would examine the legislation to ensure it reflected its agreement with the government.
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said the central bill was the Clean Energy Bill 2011, which sets up the carbon price mechanism.
This allows for a three-year fixed price from July 2012 and then a move to a market-based scheme.
It sets a target for reducing greenhouse emissions to 80 per cent below 2000 levels by 2050.
"This legislative package will give businesses and investors certainty about the carbon price, allowing them to plan new investments including in the renewable and clean energy technologies of the future," Mr Combet said.
He said the government was still writing the legislation for household compensation.
This should be ready to introduce to parliament in September along with the rest of the package.
Mr Combet hoped the legislation would pass by the end of 2011.
Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said the government was rushing to lock in the carbon tax before voters could have their say at an election.
"Once more it appears the Labor government is steamrolling ahead with a carbon tax the community doesn't want and is failing to think through the implications of its policy," he said.
The Australian Conservation Foundation would watch the legislation's passage closely to make sure it does not get weakened, spokesman Tony Mohr said.
"We fully expect the big polluters to make a last-ditch attempt to water down the environmental effectiveness of the legislation," he said.
Environment Victoria said the legislation had a "gaping hole" because it did not enshrine the government's commitment to replace Australia's dirtiest coal-fired power stations.
Spokeswoman Victoria McKenzie-McHarg said the draft laws signalled the government's intention but did not lock it in.
"There is a very real threat that Australia's biggest polluters like Hazelwood power station [in Victoria] could keep polluting indefinitely," she said.
Releasing the draft legislation for public comment, Mr Combet said the government would step up its campaign to sell the carbon tax, with brochures about the proposals to be sent to every Australian household next week.
He said during his travels around the country in the past few weeks he found the more people knew about the carbon price proposal, the more they supported it.
Senator Milne also believed popular sentiment was turning around.
"It is well past time for [opposition leader Tony] Abbott to drop his misinformation campaign and start answering the hard questions about his own policy," she said.
Meanwhile, treasurer Wayne Swan said the final go-ahead for Origin Energy's large-scale liquefied natural gas project was proof that Mr Abbott's claims that a carbon price would damage investment were "bunkum".
"I wish Mr Abbott would just stop talking down our economy," Mr Swan said.
The draft bills are available for comment until August 22 at www.climatechange.gov.au.
The Australian Greens said the package of 14 draft bills was a good step forward, though deputy leader Christine Milne said her party would examine the legislation to ensure it reflected its agreement with the government.
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said the central bill was the Clean Energy Bill 2011, which sets up the carbon price mechanism.
This allows for a three-year fixed price from July 2012 and then a move to a market-based scheme.
It sets a target for reducing greenhouse emissions to 80 per cent below 2000 levels by 2050.
"This legislative package will give businesses and investors certainty about the carbon price, allowing them to plan new investments including in the renewable and clean energy technologies of the future," Mr Combet said.
He said the government was still writing the legislation for household compensation.
This should be ready to introduce to parliament in September along with the rest of the package.
Mr Combet hoped the legislation would pass by the end of 2011.
Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said the government was rushing to lock in the carbon tax before voters could have their say at an election.
"Once more it appears the Labor government is steamrolling ahead with a carbon tax the community doesn't want and is failing to think through the implications of its policy," he said.
The Australian Conservation Foundation would watch the legislation's passage closely to make sure it does not get weakened, spokesman Tony Mohr said.
"We fully expect the big polluters to make a last-ditch attempt to water down the environmental effectiveness of the legislation," he said.
Environment Victoria said the legislation had a "gaping hole" because it did not enshrine the government's commitment to replace Australia's dirtiest coal-fired power stations.
Spokeswoman Victoria McKenzie-McHarg said the draft laws signalled the government's intention but did not lock it in.
"There is a very real threat that Australia's biggest polluters like Hazelwood power station [in Victoria] could keep polluting indefinitely," she said.
Releasing the draft legislation for public comment, Mr Combet said the government would step up its campaign to sell the carbon tax, with brochures about the proposals to be sent to every Australian household next week.
He said during his travels around the country in the past few weeks he found the more people knew about the carbon price proposal, the more they supported it.
Senator Milne also believed popular sentiment was turning around.
"It is well past time for [opposition leader Tony] Abbott to drop his misinformation campaign and start answering the hard questions about his own policy," she said.
Meanwhile, treasurer Wayne Swan said the final go-ahead for Origin Energy's large-scale liquefied natural gas project was proof that Mr Abbott's claims that a carbon price would damage investment were "bunkum".
"I wish Mr Abbott would just stop talking down our economy," Mr Swan said.
The draft bills are available for comment until August 22 at www.climatechange.gov.au.
