CARBON TAX TRICKINESS FROM LABOR ON STEEL
10-October-2011
Labor MPs can’t get their story straight on key details of the Steel Transformation Plan as they desperately try to sell the compensation package to the Australian public which is overwhelmingly opposed to carbon tax.
The Steel Transformation Plan Bill 2011 (the Bill) introduced to the House of Representatives on 13 September clearly indicates compensation will be paid over a four year period commencing in 2012-13 and concluding in 2015-16.
Labor’s trail of trickiness includes:
· Steel compensation recipients not required to reduce carbon emissions despite this being the primary objective stated within the Bill; and
· No indication of compensation to the steel industry beyond 2015-16.
This Government is so shambolic its members can’t agree on details of the steel compensation package:
· On 12 July, a joint media release was issued by Greg Combet, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Sharon Bird, Member for Cunningham and Stephen Jones, Member for Throsby which stated:
“In addition, the Government will introduce a Steel Transformation Plan which will deliver assistance worth up to $300 million over five years to encourage investment and innovation in the Australian steel manufacturing industry.”
· Then on 29 July in a speech to the Australian Environment Business Network Carbon Leadership Forum Mark Dreyfus, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency said:
“The Steel Transformation Plan will provide assistance of $300 million over five years”
· The official websites for the Department of Innovation, Industry and Science and the Department of Climate Change both state:
“The Plan will operate (over) six years”
It’s time for Labor to stop its trickiness and axe the industry destroying carbon tax which the majority of Australians don’t want.