Cabinet moves towards Greens’ interim carbon tax; Consensus ≠ agreement with polluters
Thursday 15 July 2010
The Greens today welcomed reports that Cabinet is actively considering the Greens’ proposal of an interim carbon tax but warned Prime Minister Gillard that seeking consensus on climate action only with the big polluters is a recipe for failure.
“Getting a carbon price in the market as soon as possible after the coming election is one of the best ways to build consensus towards real, ambitious climate action,” Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.
“Once polluters begin to pay for their pollution and Australians see that the sky is not falling in, the scare campaigns will lose their bite and we can move swiftly towards the deep emissions cuts that we need.
“The great benefit of the Garnaut-style carbon levy the Greens have proposed is that it is designed to be strengthened as time goes on, while the Rudd government’s failed CPRS was effectively impossible to strengthen beyond its too-weak 5-25% target range after it was passed.
“Bob Brown and I will be delighted to sit down with Prime Minister Gillard to work through how the carbon levy can get through the Senate as swiftly as possible.
“Before she goes much further, Prime Minister Gillard must recognise that working towards a consensus on climate action does not mean getting the big polluters on side.
“Building a consensus on climate action means working with scientists who understand the gravity and urgency of the problem, with technologists who are developing the solutions, with planners and designers who will work out how to implement the solutions, and with the community who need to embrace change.
“Building a consensus on climate action also means working in good faith with all those in the Senate who want to achieve action, not using climate change as a political wedge as the Rudd government repeatedly did.
“If Prime Minister Gillard seeks consensus with the polluters outside parliament and the deniers inside parliament, she will fail as surely as her predecessor did.
“The Greens are ready to act, we have solutions on the table and we have open lines of communication with those can make those solutions a reality.”
Tim Hollo
Media Adviser
Senator Christine Milne | Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Climate Change Spokesperson
Suite SG-112 Parliament House, Canberra ACT | P: 02 6277 3588 | M: 0437 587 562
http://www.christinemilne.org.au/| www.GreensMPs.org.au <http://www.greensmps.org.au/>