Carbon Tax

[Foss]

So, who else is sick of hearing politicians bang on about what Tony Abbott would refer to as "another great big new tax"?

IMO, more than anything it seems like a bit of an opportunistic cash grab to try and fulfil their promise of surplus by 2013, while also trying to appear to be doing something about climate change. But I really don't see how its going to reduce emissions at all. I, for one, am not going to stop driving my car, start having cold showers, or cook my tea on a rock in the sun. I enjoy long cruises and not driving a Smart car, and I'll continue to do so even if it does cost me $1.70 a litre.

Will you reduce your emissions on account of a Carbon Tax?

Discuss.

[benji4138]

Not a chance. And I don't see how charging big companies for carbon emissions will solve anything. The companies will just pass on the cost to the little guys (us) and will continue polluting as they have always done. Admittedly it will start to become difficult to afford driving my car to work each day if, god forbid, the prices reach $1.70 but at that point I think I'd either be riding my motorbike more to save fuel or have a second car that uses **** all fuel.

I also agree with your opinion on the cash grab/ looking to be doing something. But I suppose that if the politicians stay quiet and don't look like they're doing anything then they would be unable to justify their positions in this democratic society. Personally I think all politicians are the same and only vote on the party that will be in my best interests, but that is neither here nor there, and a little off topic.

Just my 2c though

[Tash]

Anybody else thought of the correlation between the timing of this announcement and the need to raise cash to fix infrastructure damaged by this year's flooding? I can't say I'll be doing anything other than the usual to 'save the planet' (i.e. turning off lights when exiting a room, washing with cold water) and it certainly won't change my driving habits. If petrol does, and please let it not, reach $1.70 a litre I don't think its going to change many habits as ultimately we all need it to get where we want to go. Look at the price hikes around Christmas, Easter etc

[DJKOR]

As with petrol price increases, it's going to make me a little annoyed, but ultimately in the end, it's not going to change the way I drive and my perspective on saving fuel. When the world comes around to driving around in hybrids/small cars, I want driving around in a fuel guzzling V8 because I want to. Even if it means having to work harder.

[whitestivo]

Here's the maths

A company produces 1 tonnes of carbon, and it will cost them $23 to abate

Now say you can charge the consumer $23 extra, yeah right, so lets say you can charge an extra $15

So company out of pocket $8

But, what if you can abate your emission for $2 a tonne?

I don't care for the science, i just want to breathe clean air

whitestivo

[Foss]

Yeah, the timing of the annoucement with the recent disasters had crossed my mind, but not from the funding to rebuild perspective so much as the public acceptance perspective. Don't know if anybody saw Q&A on the ABC the other night, when Gretel Kileen (ignoring the fact that her claim to fame is as the host of Big Brother, which IMO gives her about as much credibility as the Wiggles in the world of serious political debate) banged on about how sudden and seemingly out of nowhere the announcement was. I sat there thinking, what better time to announce it than straight after being hit with major natural disasters as floods, when the public are feeling vulnerable and are more likely to swallow the climate change line.

I have little doubt that petrol with hit $1.70. I just paid $1.65 for BP Ultimate.

[william777]

I don't see how slugging Australians with a carbon tax will help the environment if other big polluters like China, India and USA do not do the same. Our economy will only suffer and our manufacturers will not be able to compete with the rest of the world. They will relocate to other countries that do not have a carbon tax. Aussies will lose their jobs. Our small businesses will also suffer and go bust and there will be huge unemployment. With the carbon tax, everything will go up in prices, not just electricity and petrol. Our standard of living will suffer.

I will still drive my Aurion and pay $1.49 for BP Ultimate ....

[Adamsy]

Sadly enough we are almost paying $1.70 for Bp ultimate here in Tassie :( although to be fair i was surprised to of "only" paid 1.62 down the west coast the other week.

I can't see how taxing everyday Australians is going to fix a worldwide issue.. i mean yes sure we may not quite drive as much or use as much throttle but we still have to eat live shower and get to work, what really can we majorly change to these life requirements that are going to make huge differences? Sure ever little bit helps but the entire world needs to their bit not one country of 22million people.

Slightly off topic but another thing that annoys me is the fact we send hundreds and hundreds of millions of $$ away to overseas when there’s an ear quake tsunami volcano hurricane floods etc and yet have o tax our own people when we have our own crisis because we can’t afford to help them. It’s the Australian way to help each other in times of need and I’m not against that but maybe we should be looking after our own first before other countries. i would of skitzed if we had given NZ any substantial donation for the quake relief whilst were been taxed to help fund your floods. Nothing against NZ i quite like the country, i got to experience it quite a lot in my past job and enjoy the place but it still would have got me to see fire engine red!