Gillard’s ‘Cereal’ Stupidity on Food Manufacturing Carbon Costs

20-May-2011

Julia Gillard doesn’t even understand the ramifications of her own carbon tax.

Her extraordinary comment yesterday that the tax won’t have a single impact on food manufacturing companies like Sanitarium is, at best, ignorant. 

Ms Gillard needs to seek an urgent briefing from the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) to understand the industry’s concerns.

If she takes up that offer of a briefing, she’ll learn that:

• the industry is Australia’s largest manufacturing sector, and accounts for 28 per cent of total manufacturing turnover;
• food and grocery manufacturing will undoubtedly be made less competitive as a result of her go-it-alone, toxic new tax; 
• under her Government, Australia has already reverted to the status of a net importer of food and grocery products for the first time in living memory – and that our food producers simply can’t afford more unnecessary and unilaterally-applied cost imposts;
• her policies are endangering Australia’s food security; and
• the AFGC has repeatedly warned of the dangers of a carbon tax like hers – including the likelihood that it will only result in exporting Australian manufacturing jobs and emissions offshore.

“It is simply extraordinary that Ms Gillard doesn’t realise that food manufacturing is an energy-intensive activity that will be ravaged by her tax,” said Shadow Industry Minister Sophie Mirabella.

“One of her more clued-up colleagues clearly needs to take her aside, and outline how her carbon tax would actually work.

“Because it appears she doesn’t have even the foggiest idea of the havoc it will create for thousands of businesses and jobs across the Australian economy.”