Australia’s carbon tax benefits will kick in in May 2012

Carbon tax’s family dividends http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/04/14/318411_tasmania-news.html
DAVID KILLICK | April 14, 2012 HUNDREDS of thousands of Tasmanians will shortly benefit from increased welfare payments and tax cuts under the Federal Government’s new carbon tax regime. Increases in family payments, pensions and benefits will start with lump-sum payments next month, followed by benefit rises which take effect in the new year.

Tax cuts also kick in on July 1 and 14,000 Tasmanians will no longer have to pay tax at all, thanks to a tripling of the tax-free threshold. More than 100,000 Tasmanian pensioners will receive up to $510 a year more in benefits, 44,000 families will get $110 per child and self-funded retirees will be $380 a year better off. Around 17,000 jobseekers will be paid another $218 for singles and $390 for couples, the state’s 8500 single parents will receive $234
more a year and 7500 students will be $218 a year better off. And 179,000 Tasmanians on less than $80,000 a year will receive tax cuts.

Tasmanian electricity prices are set to rise 6.5 per cent cent next year due in part to the carbon tax. That hike, plus regular power price rises, will add $270 to a typical family’s yearly power costs.

The Gillard Government’s carbon tax aims to cut pollution by at least 5 per cent compared with 2000 levels by 2020 the equivalent of taking more than 45 million cars off the road. The nation’s 500 large polluters those accounting for 60 per cent of the nation’s carbon emissions will be required to pay for their pollution under the carbon pricing mechanism.

The mechanism will begin on July 1, and will cover power generators,
transport, heavy industry, waste, and also “fugitive” or irregular
emissions.

Families and Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin said more than
half of the money raised by the carbon tax will be used to assist
households.

“While this Labor Government is delivering extra payments, Tony Abbott
and the Liberals are planning to claw back money from pensioners and
families,” she said