Carbon tax will increase cost of living: Coulton
24-February-2011
The people of the Parkes electorate will face significantly higher cost of living after Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced her intention to introduce a carbon tax during this term of government, Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton said today.
Mr Coulton said the move by the Gillard Government, Greens and Independents Rob Oakshott and Tony Windsor, to implement a price on carbon from July 2012 despite going to the polls last year promising not to do so was “a deceptive act from a deceptive Government”.
“Before the election campaign the Prime Minister gave her word that she would not impose a carbon tax on the Australia people. Less than six months in Government and she has changed her mind."
Under the Gillard Governments’ plan, a fixed carbon price will would be placed on carbon emissions from July 1 next year for the next three to five years, followed by the introduction of an Emissions Trading Scheme.
A carbon price will be forced on the energy sector, transport, industrial emissions and waste, which experts predict will translate into a steep rise in living costs.
“The Government has stated that the agricultural industry would be excluded from a carbon tax, however I do not think we have any grounds to believe or trust them,” Mr Coulton said.
While the Government is yet to state the price of the of carbon tax, it is estimated that under a $26 a tonne carbon price power bills will increase $300 a year and petrol prices would rise 6.5c a litre.
"These increase in prices will come at a time when people can least afford it. I already hear from vulnerable people in the Parkes electorate who struggle to meet the costs of running their air conditioning in summer and heater in winter," he said.
“The Prime Minister claims every cent raised from this tax will go into compensation for households and businesses, basically admitting that this tax will be passed down on to the consumer. The Government has not considered how this will affect the average Australian and their standard of living.”
Mr Coulton said the Nationals will continue their fight against the carbon tax on behalf of the people of regional Australia.
“Australia produces just 1.4 per cent to the world's carbon dioxide emissions. The Prime Minister has not stated how this tax is going to cool the temperature of the globe. To implement a carbon tax before other countries is ludicrous and has the potential to devastate our economy," he said.
“The Nationals fought hard for our constituency and defeated the Rudd Government’s ETS, and we will now oppose this plan to slug yet another Labor tax on the Australian people.
"However, with the Greens taking control of the Senate in July this year there is the very real prospect that this inequitable and unjust tax could be passed through Parliament."