Carbon Tax betrays voters
10-November-2011
Local Federal MP, Alan Tudge, says the passage of the carbon tax through the Parliament this week is a betrayal of the wishes of the Knox residents and the Australian public.
“Both major parties committed at the last election to NOT introduce a carbon tax”, Mr Tudge said.
“This was an express commitment of the Labor Party and the Coalition. The Prime Minister should have honoured this commitment.
“The carbon tax will hurt Knox residents and do nothing for the climate,” he said, “Knox will be hit particularly hard due to its large manufacturing base. The carbon tax will cause:
- A loss of 546 jobs in Knox by 2015 (according to Deloitte Access Economics for the Victorian Treasury);
- A 10% hike in electricity bills in the first year alone (according to the Government’s own figures)
- A 9% percent hike in gas bills in the first year alone (according to the Government’s figures)
- An average cost to each family of over $500 (according to the Government’s figures)
- A 3% increase in Council Rates (according to the Municipal Association of Victoria); and,
- Upward pressure on interest rates from the package increasing government debt by $4.3 billion.
“It will be a significant new burden for families struggling under cost of living increases. The tax will increase but the compensation won’t.”
“On the Government’s own figures, three million Australian households will be worse off under the carbon tax.”
“Since December 2007, under the Gillard Government, electricity prices have gone up 51 per cent; gas prices have gone up 30 per cent; water has gone up 46 per cent; and education costs have gone up 24 per cent. But instead of taking measures to try to ease the cost of living pressures, the government has actually added to them by introducing the world’s largest Carbon Tax. “At the next election, the Coalition will seek a mandate from the Australian people to repeal this tax.
“There is a better way to reduce emissions that does not involve the world’s biggest carbon tax”