Carbon Tax...What do you think???

[moosenoose]

I don't doubt that the climate is changing. Whether or not we're 100% responsible for that change....or even 5% responsible is completely debatable. I also agree we should be looking towards renewable energy....but we have been, for a long time.

Solar is NOT a viable option for people living in the Southern parts of Australia – it’s the biggest waste of money con-job going around! Wind power is a bit of a crock also (not to mention expensive to maintain - thus expensive to use) We're charged through the teeth for "natural gas" and it appears the only way the government can make renewable energy an option, is to make the currently cheaper, more available, existing forms of coal powered energy MORE EXPENSIVE than green energy! And that's because green energy is expensive & time consuming in its manufacture and maintenance.

We're just digging a bigger hole looking for something that isn't quite there to be discovered yet. The trouble is it'll be so deep by the time we realize that fact we'll have trouble crawling out of it to change direction - because we've killed the industries which are inadvertently helping us to find those choices at the present moment.

Haven't we just green stamped another coal-powered electrical station here in Vic?? Now that really is ironic! :lol: Why are we doing it? Because the current grid is already at capacity due to an increasing population.

Did anyone see the news last night with the CEOs of Woolworths, Coles, Bunnings and David Jones all saying that they will have to shed jobs if the Carbon Tax goes ahead?

What is funny is that none of these companies will be taxed directly by the Carbon Tax.

No but I suspect they know there will be a knock on effect, which will affect their bottom line.

 

[Wookie]

We have the largest uranium reserves in the world..... Hmmm I think I've found a solution. Maybe I should run for PM :lol:

 

[fugawi]

I have just had a bit of a look at which countries have introduced a federal carbon tax and which countries have rejected it. It seem that more countries have rejected it than have taken it up. I also noticed the general reason for rejecting it is that it will only eventually effect the low income earners. The main countries that have taken it up are small European countries and India. None of these countries are major primary producers like us that rely heavily on our exports of our primary produce. They are also heavily populated countries. The effect on Australia will be vastly different to the countries that have taken on a carbon tax.

Prime Minister Wookie..........Hmmmmmm......don't know, at least we will have better herp laws.

Here is Gillards exact words before the election......"There will be no carbon tax" and yet she did not mislead parliament. Hmmmmmmmmm

 

[moosenoose]

New Zealand has it I think. Regardless of that, I still don't want it.

Interesting some people comparing this to the introduction of the GST that was brought in by John Howard. The carbon tax is not comparable with that of the GST in my opinion, even though it was brought in on the back of a lie also. A carbon tax by principal will do nothing for the environment, but everything to fatten government coffers. This, apart from merely being yet another tax, is the thing that truly irks me.

 

[fugawi]

Un Zud were looking into introducing it this year, I don't know if they have or not. Either way the effects will be much smaller on them.
Another thing to think about with the GST is that it was brought in to simplify the company taxes and reduce something like 27 taxes down to 1. By adding another company tax, aren't they destroying the idea of the GST by starting to build up another 27 taxes on top of the GST?

 

[discomat]

I feel like banging my head against a brick wall here... I read a few posts in this thread and I'm worried about how many people think it's a good idea. Sorry but you people are clueless. A war against carbon/pollution must be GLOBAL! Australia's carbon footprint in 1 year is approximately equal to the carbon footprint of China and India in ONE DAY! And where do you think the large international companies will go once this tax comes in? Yep... to China and India as cost = everything. It's the stupidity of Australian voters who saw Labor get elected in the first place! I have absolutely no faith in the Australian public anymore. I'm 25 and most people my age or younger are dipshits when it comes to politics. Everyone should be forced to study some sort of politics/economics classes at school because we are creating a nation of blind voting idiots!

 

[fugawi]

I fully understand you discomat and it seems that most aussies are also banging their heads against a wall which is why I started this thread. You have to remember that firstly Gillard claimed that she would NOT introduce a Carbon Tax during the election and secondly, Gillard was NOT voted for in the last election. The Labor Party had less votes than the Libs until she did some backroom deals with the Greens and then she still didn't have the numbers to claim victory so she did some backroom deals with the independants to achieve power. Now we are paying for those backroom deals.....

As they say....."Payback is a b#@$!"

 

[Sinners121]

If the carbon tax goes through Australian people might as well start moving over seas its a lot cheaper than here already.

 

[wokka]

I feel like banging my head against a brick wall here... I read a few posts in this thread and I'm worried about how many people think it's a good idea. Sorry but you people are clueless. A war against carbon/pollution must be GLOBAL! Australia's carbon footprint in 1 year is approximately equal to the carbon footprint of China and India in ONE DAY! And where do you think the large international companies will go once this tax comes in? Yep... to China and India as cost = everything. It's the stupidity of Australian voters who saw Labor get elected in the first place! I have absolutely no faith in the Australian public anymore. I'm 25 and most people my age or younger are dipshits when it comes to politics. Everyone should be forced to study some sort of politics/economics classes at school because we are creating a nation of blind voting idiots!

You could apply that arguement to lots of hard ethical and morel decisions. Australia needs to lead not follow the lowest standards. If you want to live cheap, sure go to China! I hope most Australians are here for a quality life not the cheapest one.

 

[sesa-sayin]

Labor/Greens almost certainly will not win the next election,. They already know that, but they may well get their Carbon Tax leglislation through before that time. The Coalition would find it very hard to repeal it..word is, she has 3 more months to achieve a turn-around in the Polls...Otherwise Stephen Smithwill take over.

 

[medz84]

carbon tax = what? what will it actually do for the planet?

as said earlier buisnesses will lift there prices to pay for the tax,
struggling families such as my own will find it even harder to live and what will the planet get out of this tax?

the government needs to fix other things before it worries about another tax...

 

[Renenet]

I haven't commented on this topic yet because Labor haven't actually released any real details, which I personally think was incredibly dumb of them. I heard somewhere - I think on ABC TV, when I was only half paying attention - that they will launch the policy properly on Sunday.

 

[vampstorso]

Smelter demands tax shield or jobs axe falls | The Australian

my home town seems to rely on the tax NOT existing.


Beyond this, I still can't make sense of it!

Gillard says money from the tax will go to helping poorer families...well perhaps those families wouldn't need the money if they weren't paying the tax, or their jobs weren't lost as result.

Also....spending millions of dollars on "advertising" the tax...LOL advertising something we have no choice about?!

Then saying we should all catch public transport. Well, I don't see the PM on my morning bus...

 

[fugawi]

It seems that a lot of people are going to lose their jobs, businesses will shut or relocate overseas and the end result is that the poor will get poorer, more people will lose their homes and go bankrupt. Hmmmmmmmmmm So can someone explain to me just how Australia will benefit from this.............

 

[vampstorso]

^ coz Gillard said so!
That makes the suggestion "it's helpful" a valid "fact", right?!
She sure seems to think so!

 

[moosenoose]

Australia survived the Great Depression, now it'll have to survive the Julia/Brown Great Deception.

All it is, is to ALLOW businesses to "pay to pollute". As consumers we'll be forced to foot the bill as we don't have any other real infrastructure to turn to for a choice. Solar, particularly in the southern regions of Australia, isn't (as yet) a financially viable or practical option.

I've always said we need to clean up our act. That's a no brainer. But feeling great about changing nothing in a practical sense, other than gathering money off people in the way of taxes, and then to reimburse those who'll be charged extra simply because a large corporation has passed on those costs, is plain ridiculous!

So if you're a store packer, you'll be looked after. If you're a doctor or professional or hard working tradie - expect to cough up! THIS is Labor at its goddamn best!

 

[Sinners121]

its funny the poor people will get their money back but what about the middle class? we get classified as rich taxed more and then our money is taken and given to the poor. where is incentive to work? and the pensioners are not going to be able to survive with this. its just another money grab at the people who are deemed "rich"

 

[FAY]

Julia is no less deceptive than John Howard saying 'he would never bring in the GST' but did when he got into power. Politicians ALL lie. I personally don't know how they can say these things, go the opposite and still think they are honest, decent people and above everyone else. I suppose the bait of getting into the top job in the country, if only for 5 mins and all the perks they get for the rest of their lives just seems to be too big of a carrot JMO

 

[sesa-sayin]

LABOR is all about CONTROL< CONTROL< CONTROL> It always was, and always will be. TAX and SQUANDER

 

[discomat]

You could apply that arguement to lots of hard ethical and morel decisions. Australia needs to lead not follow the lowest standards. If you want to live cheap, sure go to China! I hope most Australians are here for a quality life not the cheapest one.

*facepalm* *** did you even read my post? I said big business organisations would simply move to China/India, they don't give two ****s about 'quality life' in Australia. Cost = everything! It has nothing to do with living cheap, it has to do with consequences and benefits. You think developing nations like China/India care if Australia leads the 'war' against global warming? NO! Furthermore like I said our carbon footprint is minimal compared to China/India. You are the perfect example of what I was referring to in my original post, please go read a book on economics or something before coming back.