50 days to go until world's biggest Carbon Tax

May 12, 2012

Andrew Southcott, Federal Member for Boothby said the world’s biggest carbon tax will have a dramatic impact on the households and businesses of Boothby when it commences in just 50 days.

“In 50 days, the world’s biggest carbon tax will hit families, jobs and investment”, said Dr Southcott.

“The economic storm clouds are gathering. Now is the worst possible time to introduce the world’s largest carbon tax.

Dr Southcott said he was concerned that the Budget Papers confirmed that the carbon price will increase in coming years.

“In the Budget Papers, the Government confirmed it was increasing the carbon tax from its $23 a tonne starting price to $29 a tonne in just three years. This is despite Julia Gillard promising before the last election “there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead”

“The carbon tax will increase prices, cost jobs and not help the environment. The cost of the essentials of life will go up and up and up under the carbon tax.

Dr Southcott said Boothby residents already paid some of the highest electricity prices in the world and it will get worse after 1 July.

“The Gillard Government is adding the world’s biggest carbon tax to the world’s highest electricity prices.

“Household electricity prices have already increased by 40% in real terms since 2007 and will go up by at least another 10 per cent in the first year of the carbon tax.

Dr Southcott said only the Coalition will make scrapping the carbon tax the first order of business by a Coalition Government.

“Tony Abbott confirmed this week in his Budget Reply speech that the Coalition will introduce legislation to scrap the carbon tax.