After a decade of hand wringing and backsliding, Australia finally seems set to take (some) proactive action on climate change. Prime Minister Gillard announced at the weekend that our 500 largest polluters will be taxed $23 per tonne of carbon emissions, effective from July 1, 2012. She has spent much of her time during this ‘debate’ fending off Tony Abbott’s never-ending fear campaign and the similarly limitless stream of dumbass questions from reporters and the public. The PM has also endured a near constant press barrage, continued (bullshit) snap polling (of 500 randoms) and that pillar of journalism the Daily Telegraph running uniformed headlines on a loop. To her credit she has pressed on, compromised with the Greens (praise be to Bob) and has the numbers to turn a plan into a law.
The premise for those who haven’t been playing at home is simple. Currently, industry is under regulated, particularly with respect to the environment and is generally free to pollute as they like. The new carbon tax provides an economic incentive for big business to try a little harder to not rape and pillage the planet – and over time they might sort their shit out. That’s it. Unfortunately a number of Abbott and industry-based misconceptions remain clouding the issue – that is, until I set them straight.
1. Jobs will be lost.
Sure they will – they often are. There was a little event in our relatively recent past called the Industrial Revolution. During this period rafts of jobs were lost, and new ones created. I’m sure at the time there were some calls to defend the jobs of Johhny Blackmith and Charlie Milliner – but at the end of the day, the greater good caused us to march on. As I’ve said previously we can already foresee a clearly defined time when coal miners jobs will be at stake – like when the coal runs out. The mines and plants won’t be shuttered overnight, but they will ultimately close. They call that the circle of life. Importantly, mining jobs won’t immediately move overseas either. The thing about mining is that you have to locate your mine in the vicinity of the minerals (preferably).
2. Households will pay more.
We always seem to – tax or not. With respect to energy, prices have risen on the back of the mass privatisation of the power sector and the now de-regulated nature of the pricing. The government monopoly has merely been replaced by collusive private companies and has not had the desired effect of increasing competition. Irrespective of this, the Gillard plan provides a range of tax cuts and family payment/pension increases that they propose will see most people break even or be slightly better off (and then they get accused of Socialism!) At any rate, I support pricing electricity at a level higher than ‘cheap’, in order to encourage usage cuts – oh, wait, where have I heard that idea before?
3. Other countries aren’t onboard.
No, not all of them are. China isn’t. India couldn’t give a fuck. They are both too busy dragging their mega-populations out of poverty. In contrast our political stability and wealth give us the luxury of considering the way we do business. Not only is it morally right, it’s the fundamental choice between being a leader and a follower. We can drag our feet and sulk (the official Liberal policy) – or we can innovate and have a go (which is more ‘Australian’ Tony?). The idea of an investment fund for renewable technology already has venture firms re-gearing and plotting the best way to be on the ground floor of the next big thing. My feeling is that if we invent usable, practical solar technology for instance, our old friends China will be banging down our doors to buy it.
What we should be focused on is how many concessions have already been made - only 500 companies are to be taxed, coupled with significant exemptions to key polluters like agriculture and fuel – and how we best press for more effective reform. Instead, Abbott and now O’Farrell remain committed climate-change deniers, and scare-mongers. Worse, some random Liberal MP who I’ve never heard of - Sophie Mirabella – tried to get her name in the paper by saying Julia Gillard was as deluded as Gaddafi if she thinks Australians want a carbon tax. Evidently, Sophie is our Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research… I’d laugh if I wasn’t so scared.
And so, I call upon the nation to quit whining, pay a few extra bucks a week (should that come to pass) and do something proactive for the planet. The Libs are selling fear and more of the same – our PM is proposing the hard road, and the high road – I’m with her.
