Antinuclear

Australia’s budget : handouts to mining companies far exceed carbon price

Reaction to Federal Budget 2012 SMH,May 8, 2012  http://www.smh.com.au/business/federal-budget/reaction-to-federal-budget-2012-20120508-1yba0.html#ixzz1uPdyOZDc
“……..DON HENRY, Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Score: 6.5/10 “The federal budget’s failure to tackle wasteful, inefficient tax breaks that promote fossil fuel use and pollution is a blow to Australia’s environment.

Continuing the senseless diesel fuel handout to mining companies is a much bigger slug to Australian households
than any carbon price, with the handouts to mining companies projected to increase to $182 per taxpayer, per year, costing $9.4 billion over the forward estimates.

The budget includes full funding for the climate package, including assistance for households, a boost for
renewable energy through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Biodiversity Fund – we warmly welcome this.  But Australia should not be axing tax breaks for green buildings and slashing the aid budget, while leaving untouched billions of dollars of tax breaks for mining and resource industries to pollute our environment. The budget contains $14 of new spending on roads for every $1 spent on rail – this is the wrong priority.”

May 11, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics