Carbon tax will cost jobs not create them
28-February-2011
Federal Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton has dismissed statements made in a report that a carbon tax would create 31,000 new jobs in regional Australia over the next two decades. The report released by the Climate Institute states that a carbon tax and a renewable energy target would lead to the creation of thousands of jobs in the renewable energy sector.
“This report is extremely one-sided and I would encourage the Climate Institute to look at the jobs that will be lost in regional Australia if a carbon tax is introduced,” Mr Coulton stated.
“Julia Gillard has stated there will be price impacts due to her carbon tax and these price impacts will be felt through all industries and businesses in regional and rural Australia. The pressure on businesses to reduce their emissions will cost jobs.”
“Some of the Parkes Electorates biggest employers will be hit hard by this carbon tax, including the mining sector and with flow on price impacts to agriculture.”
The report was launched today by Independent MP Tony Windsor, and uses models that show that a $36 a tonne price on carbon would be needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent by 2020. The Coalition has estimated that a $26 a tonne carbon price power bills will increase $300 a year and petrol prices would rise 6.5c a litre.
“The models used in this report fail to take into account the impacts a carbon tax would have on industry and businesses. The 31,000 regional jobs that this report says will be created will be created at a huge cost.”
“I ask just how many of these jobs will be subsidised by the taxpayer? My prediction is all of them.”
“At present it costs almost twice as much to produce a kilowatt of electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar than it does from coal.”
“It is the Government’s belief that by forcing industry to pay more for conventional energy they will embrace lower emissions technology. While this is a laudable objective, the reality is that the most vulnerable will be the most severely impacted by this tax.”
“Many of our jobs will move offshore to countries that do not have the higher costs associated with a carbon tax.”