Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Australia's carbon price arrives

Today, the Australian Senate voted on and passed the suite of Clean Energy Bills that have been a long time coming, and are primarily the work of the Multiparty Climate Change Committee.


This is wonderful news.  It is a shame it has taken so long for us to finally price pollution and provide leadership and and incentives for a clean energy future.

Well done Julia Gillard, The Labor Government, the MPCCC, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakshott, all the Greens in the senate - particularly Christine Milne and Bob Brown and their advisors - and Adam Bandt in the House of Representatives.

Hard work by all concerned, and a proud and momentous day for Australia.

It was interesting that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott chose to be absent from Australia on this day, despite his vocal and trenchant opposition to pricing pollution.  It was also interesting that Malcolm Turnbull chose to vote against the legislation in the House of Representatives, despite his support of emissions trading and putting a price on carbon.

What our parliamentarians say doesn't matter nearly as much as how they vote.

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1 comment:

Grant said...

One big question remains to be answered, and that is (as you should know from your IT past), "What is the plan B (contingency) if the electorate and business do not accept it when implemented next year". Speaking to a number of people in this part of the world (Melb South Eastern suburbs), they are not particularly worried as long as the Fed Gov compensation for all costs passed on to the public (which according to business will be 100% of increased costs), actually covers the increases. If the compensation does not cover cost increases, the average family will just reduce their disposable income impacting the Australian economy. If a business for some reason cannot pass on the total costs, I believe, from what my son has been told by his employer, that they will have to reduce the overall cost base, probably starting with employees, as this is the easiest cost to reduce.
Anyway interesting time start next year, and I hope we do not go the way of Spain and California, and basically become bankrupt from trying to implement a carbon scheme system.