Antinuclear

Australia’s Liberal Coalition not likely to repeal carbon tax – “Abbott proof fence” around it

Libs carbon tax repeal ‘unlikely’
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/16259527/libs-carbon-tax-repeal-unlikely/
Andrew Probyn Federal Political Editor, The West Australian February
28, 2013,  International and domestic investors in Australia are being
told there is only a one-in-three chance that Opposition Leader Tony
Abbott will be able to fulfil his “pledge in blood” to dump the carbon
tax.

In a briefing note sent to clients yesterday, Bloomberg Finance said
the Government had built a secure “Abbott-proof fence” around its
carbon tax legislation.

Bloomberg said the coalition could repeal the Clean Energy Act if it
won a Senate majority in the September election, or if Mr Abbott
retained sufficient political capital to risk taking his axe-the-tax
pledge to a double dissolution election in two years.

But it told investors that neither scenario was particularly likely.
Bloomberg said the probability the coalition would be able to repeal
the carbon tax was 32 per cent, even though it rated the likelihood of
an Abbott victory at 72 per cent.

“In our view, the likely result is a new coalition government which
finds a way to live with the carbon price,” its report said.

“Ultimately, however, Abbott’s strong rhetoric leaves him with few
options, and it may be a case of everything or bust.”

Should he win the September 14 election, Mr Abbott’s first
parliamentary manoeuvre would be introducing legislation to repeal the
Clean Energy Act. Although this would quickly pass the House of
Representatives, it would not pass the current Senate unless the Labor
Party abandoned the policy.

On Sydney radio last week, Mr Abbott said he expected Labor to
surrender its support for pricing carbon under the threat of a double
dissolution election. “I don’t think a defeated Labor Party will stick
with its support for the carbon tax, the mining tax and all the other
things that they’ve done which have contributed to the toxic cloud
that’s enveloping them,” Mr Abbott said.

“I don’t think they will for a second stick with this, because
politicians hate to lose and they hate to lose twice on the same
error. But look, if they persist in folly, if they persist in defying
what would be a clear mandate, obviously the government has got to get
on with the job and we would use the constitutional provisions that
are there.”

Senators elected in the September 14 election would not take their
seats until July 1 next year, meaning Mr Abbott would be unlikely to
secure a double dissolution until late 2014 or early 2015.

March 1, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, election 2013