Labor plan for another carbon tax whack

APRIL 28, 2016: Labor’s announcement today that they would essentially bring back a carbon tax if elected beggars belief.The Opposition’s climate plan also includes an option for them to further restrict farmers’ ability to clear their own land.Labor’s fearless leader Bill Shorten will go blindly where Labor leaders before him have gone, and that’s down the path of introducing a carbon tax which will cost jobs and drive up power prices.Shorten has announced that a Labor Government will introduce an emissions reduction target of 45 per cent by 2030, so this would essentially double Australia’s emissions reduction targets.Modelling done by the Climate Change Authority had pointed to an increase power prices by 78 per cent by 2030 with such a target.When Labor was last in power they introduced a carbon tax which essentially added about $550 to household electricity bills, and considerably more for energy-intensive business operators.I met with one Mackay business owner today and I have estimated this new carbon tax could put his electricity bill up by $8000.Farmers will also be alarmed to hear about Labor’s proposed ‘climate trigger’ which would stop landholders from clearing their own land.We already have the ‘state vegetation police’, and Labor now want to introduce this ‘climate trigger’ which will allow them to introduce the ‘federal vegetation police’.Having more so-called vegetation police who can overrule state tree clearing policies, introduce more red tape and tell farmers what they can do on their own land, is a retrograde step that is not needed and will not be welcomed.