Gillard to fight for carbon tax

A survey by the Climate Institute shows Australians want to see concrete plans to deal with climate change.
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Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she wants Australia to have a carbon tax and is prepared to fight for it. Ms Gillard told the Nine Network this morning she had doubts about the emissions trading scheme because there was no lasting and deep community consensus for it.

"I was concerned that if you were going to do something as big to your economy as put a price on carbon, with the economic transfer that implies ... you need a lasting and deep community consensus to do it," she said.

"I don't believe we had that last and deep community consensus."

But Ms Gillard says she will work to get a price on carbon. "I believe in climate change. I believe it's caused by human activity and I believe we have an obligation to act," she said. "I will be making some statements about some further things we can do to address the challenge of climate change as we work to that lasting and deep community consensus."

Australians want action

Ms Gillard's comments come on the back of a survey that shows the Government could gain significant support from swinging voters if it does more to address climate change.

The Climate Institute poll, which surveyed 1,000 people and was also conducted on behalf of several other green groups, found that many Australians are wanting to see concrete plans to deal with climate change.

More than half of those surveyed had lost confidence in Labor's ability to deal with climate change and over two-thirds had lost confidence in either major party to deal with the issue.

At least 36 per cent said they would be more likely to vote for the Government if it did take action before the election. The Climate Institute's head, John Connor, says the Government will be rewarded at the next poll if it acts quickly.

More: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/27/2938114.htm

are being naive or stupid, or both.

There is no way in the world that any kind of carbon tax can get through sittings of both Houses before the election.

If it was the same bill that was presented by the Rudd Government, it will be defeated again by the Coalition and the Greens. And there is no time at all to nut out a fresh piece of legislation within the time frame, bearing in mind that Gillard has said the election will be this year.

And if they're going to revisit an ETS, I'd prefer to see one that is going to really achieve something other than put billions of dollars into the bottomless pockets of heavy industry and mining.

Let's see some meaningful legislation, carefully thought out after consultation with the Greens (who understand this issue far better than the majors), that will not put most of the burden on the ordinary taxpayer while industry gets paid to keep on polluting.