Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new tax (3 Viewers)

[John McCain]

Is what abbott says he will introduce.

The thread title is a verbatim quote from his appearance on the 7.30 report

Is such a thing even possible?

 

[A High Way Man]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

I, for one, would like to take part in this new emissions trading industry. Why do Liberals want to kill it.

 

[ad infinitum]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

Well you could introduce a carbon tax, whilst lowering the income tax, resulting in a zero net change.

 

[John McCain]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

True.

The ETS was justified as they'd give breaks of some sort to working families, so apparently 90% of people won't be worse off from electricity price increases.

So by that logic, the ETS isn't a problem either.

Also hardly anyone pays income tax
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/four-in-10-families-pay-no-tax/story-0-1111117535708

So it's not true that lowering income tax would even come close to compensating for a carbon tax

Carbon tax will never sell to the electorate, especially if he's gone and explicitly said the new policy won't be a big tax. It simply can't be done.

Which leaves me wondering, what new policy could there possibly be...

 

[Got2Kno91]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

Sounds like Tony Abbott thinks he is a magical fairy who can put forth "tough and effective action on climate change" with out any cost or pain to the economy or community at large.

 

[loquasagacious]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

Big subsidies and tax breaks for green industry (and maybe nuclear power/uranium exports) would seem the only thing that matches his description... personally I favour a carbon-tax coupled to a GST reduction on 'green' products/services.

 

[ad infinitum]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

True.

The ETS was justified as they'd give breaks of some sort to working families, so apparently 90% of people won't be worse off from electricity price increases.

So by that logic, the ETS isn't a problem either.

Also hardly anyone pays income tax
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/four-in-10-families-pay-no-tax/story-0-1111117535708

So it's not true that lowering income tax would even come close to compensating for a carbon tax

Carbon tax will never sell to the electorate, especially if he's gone and explicitly said the new policy won't be a big tax. It simply can't be done.

Which leaves me wondering, what new policy could there possibly be...

I don't know how you equate 60% of the population as 'hardly anyone' (perhaps who should actually read the articles you link...?). Furthermore, the article was saying that this 40% are net beneficiaries (they pay income tax however they receive more back in benefits). So yep. Your flat out wrong on that.
As to whether a Carbon tax would be embraced by the public, it is quite clear that if the government explained that they are lowering the income tax (or gst, etc) to offset any price increases, I'm sure the public would understand, well, with the exception of you, because your obviously a tad slow.

 

[John McCain]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

I don't know how you equate 60% of the population as 'hardly anyone'

It was a joke :/

 

[Serius]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

I think he might be talking about nuclear power. Good idea imo, scrap everything else....we dont need to be throwing money into a hole. Even if Australia became totally carbon neutral, it wouldnt change anything globally..... it seems our government doesnt realise this is a global issue, and when it comes to emissions we are nothing but a blip on the radar. We could go back to living in mud huts as a completely primitive society, the reduction wouldnt even be .1% globally.

The best policy would be to prepare for global warming as an inevitability, whilst encouraging other countries to change it the hopes that it wont be.

 

[A High Way Man]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

I think he might be talking about nuclear power. Good idea imo, scrap everything else....we dont need to be throwing money into a hole. Even if Australia became totally carbon neutral, it wouldnt change anything globally..... it seems our government doesnt realise this is a global issue, and when it comes to emissions we are nothing but a blip on the radar. We could go back to living in mud huts as a completely primitive society, the reduction wouldnt even be .1% globally.

The best policy would be to prepare for global warming as an inevitability, whilst encouraging other countries to change it the hopes that it wont be.

Hell yes, nuclear power would turn me into a lifetime liberal voter

 

[hectic_lowie]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

m,aybe he is planning on running power stations with aborted foetuses

 

[Iron]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

lol yeah nuclear might win me back

 

[runoutofsleep]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

yeah i saw that on the 730 report and was like what

but abbott doesn't believe in climate change so doing nothing would be quite a strong and effective policy i guess

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

Big subsidies and tax breaks for green industry (and maybe nuclear power/uranium exports) would seem the only thing that matches his description... personally I favour a carbon-tax coupled to a GST reduction on 'green' products/services.

Sounds good to me.

 

[loquasagacious]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

yeah i saw that on the 730 report and was like what

but abbott doesn't believe in climate change so doing nothing would be quite a strong and effective policy i guess

Abbott isn't a climate change sceptic.

 

[loquasagacious]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

Sounds good to me.

Which sounds good? My guess at Abbott's policy or my own idea?

 

[runoutofsleep]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

Abbott isn't a climate change sceptic.

KERRY O'BRIEN: But here's the thing, the other two alternative Liberal leaders, the last one and perhaps the next one, clearly both feel that you represent an extreme position in this debate, that the Government will marginalise you, Joe Hockey speaks for a lot of his colleagues on climate change, does he not, when he says, "I am not a sceptic. I'm a believer. I want action. The official science is clear." You say in comparison, "I am hugely unconvinced by the so-called settled science," or another line, "The climate change argument is crap." Now that is a large divide.

TONY ABBOTT: Look, we all want to do the right thing by the environment. This is not about climate change science, this is about the mechanism for appropriately dealing with it.

The 7.30 Report - ABC

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

Abbott isn't a climate change sceptic.

He doesn't care all that much about it. He'd be happy not to pass any legislation at all.

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

Which sounds good? My guess at Abbott's policy or my own idea?

Both. I doubt Abbott will go with either, if he even has a fleshed out plan at all.

 

[lynton]

Re: Strong and effective climate change policy, that doesn't involve a great, big new

The best policy would be to prepare for global warming as an inevitability, whilst encouraging other countries to change it the hopes that it wont be.[/QUOTE]


I agree other countries should come on board with reducing emissions. Australia should be pressuring other nations to act or follow suit. As for the best policy for climate change i believe it is about prevention rather than treatment and control. If we prevent the dire effects of global warming and climate change now we will not have to spend trillions of dollars in the future fixing up the mess. If people are scared of paying increased taxes now imagine in the future when our economy will be in the drain due to climate change impacting upon agriculture, tourism and our livelihoods. Although ETS may not be the best way, neither is nuclear power. We obviously need to find an equilibrium between the economy and the environment.

The liberals definately need to get it together and decide where they stand, because it is annoying the crap out of me.