Julia Gillard’s Carbon Tax: A Bad Tax Based on a Lie

Media Release— Tuesday, 13 September 2011

“Today in Parliament, the Prime Minister introduced legislation for the carbon tax that she promised we would never have under her government,” Kevin Andrews said today.

Supported by Mike Symon, Julia Gillard said today that the vote on her carbon tax legislation was so that “every member in this place can be judged.” This is the same Prime Minister who said six days before the last election “there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead.”

“This Parliament is being asked to support a carbon tax for which it has no mandate. It would be a travesty of democracy for the Prime Minister to ram this bad tax through this Parliament,” Kevin Andrews said.

“The Labor-Green carbon tax will drive up prices, threaten jobs and do nothing for the environment. It is a great big new tax on everything, and every year it will just go up and up and up.”

“On the government’s own figures, 3 million Australian households will be worse off under the carbon tax. On the Government’s own figures, dual income families will be worse off once they have the income of a school teacher and a shop assistant; or that of a policeman and a part-time nurse,” Kevin Andrews said.

“Mike Symon should be standing up for our region and opposing this carbon tax. Australia’s forgotten families are already struggling with soaring cost of living pressures and the carbon tax will make a bad situation worse. The Prime Minister refuses to acknowledge this.”

“Julia Gillard should apologise to the people of Menzies for misleading the people and she should acknowledge that she has no mandate to introduce this carbon tax.”

“There is a better way. The Coalition’s Direct Action plan is a strong and effective policy that will reduce carbon emissions by 5% by 2020 without a new tax. Our Direct Action plan is costed, capped and fully funded from savings to the budget. Direct Action means no costs to households, no new taxes, and no increase in electricity prices as a result of the policy.”

“The Coalition’s commitment to the Australian people is that we will do everything in our power to fight this toxic tax. The Coalition will oppose it in opposition and rescind it in government. There must be no carbon tax without a mandate,” Kevin Andrews concluded.

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