Australian businesses don’t want repeal of carbon tax
The opposition climate spokesman, Greg Hunt, (left) repeated his prediction that if the Coalition won the next election, there would be no carbon price in Australia for the next 20 years.
Keith Orchison, a former head of the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association, said Mr Hunt’s 20-year prediction was out of step with business. Investors in mining, power infrastructure and large manufacturing – which look 20 years or more ahead – were assuming a carbon price, he said.
Businesses reject Abbott’s vow to repeal carbon tax, SMH, July 7, 2012, David Wroe with Adam Morton and Paddy Doulman FEWER than a quarter of the biggest heavy greenhouse gas-emitting companies that will directly pay the carbon tax support Tony Abbott’s ”pledge in blood” to repeal the scheme, a survey by the Herald has found…
.The Herald asked 40 of the biggest emitters on the government’s list of 294 companies that will pay the carbon tax whether it was in their interests to repeal or change the scheme. Nine indicated they supported a repeal, including the power companies
Delta Electricity, Intergen and Stanwell, as well as the Australian
Coal Association and Manufacturing Australia, which spoke for members.
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Eight firms, including leading power companies AGL and Origin, BHP
Billiton and Shell and Caltex, say they favour some form of carbon
pricing.
Five firms, including Alcoa, Qantas and TRUenergy, say they would like
the existing scheme to be changed. Four companies, including retail
giant Wesfarmers, said they were just focusing on complying with the
existing law……
The opposition climate spokesman, Greg Hunt, repeated his prediction that if the Coalition won the next election, there would be no carbon price in Australia for the next 20 years. ”I respect the views of
those big companies who get to pass on the prices but this is a
decision for the Australian people and the next election will be a
referendum on the carbon tax,” he said.
But industry observers say that while the Opposition Leader, Mr
Abbott, is politically wedded to his repeal pledge, he would face
pressure to apply some form of carbon price.
Keith Orchison, a former head of the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association, said Mr Hunt’s 20-year prediction was out of step with business. Investors in mining, power infrastructure and large manufacturing – which look 20 years or more ahead – were assuming a carbon price, he said.
”I would think as Abbott … and others in the Coalition leadership are
going around the business community … that’s pretty well the message
they’ll be receiving,” he said. ”You can’t pursue abatement …
without placing some form of price on carbon. Otherwise, what’s the
mechanism for reducing it?”….
The Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, said Mr Abbott’s repeal
pledge could not be taken seriously. ”When the overwhelming majority
of large emitters paying the carbon price don’t want it repealed,
commonsense tells you it won’t happen.”
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