Greens to make polluters pay
A carbon tax for NSW, Greens to make polluters pay
Greens MP and Upper House candidate Lee Rhiannon last night unveiled the Greens plan for a carbon tax in NSW. The Greens will move a private members bill to establish a price on carbon for greenhouse polluters to fast track the shift from coal to renewables.
Ms Rhiannon announced the plan at an NCC climate change forum in Sydney last night.
"The Greens will move a private members bill to phase-in a carbon tax of $25 per tonne of carbon dioxide by 2011. This will put a price on polluting the atmosphere with greenhouse gases and raise $1.2 billion a year over the life of the tax to put into renewable energy and energy efficiency," said Ms Rhiannon.
"A carbon tax will increase the price of energy from cheap and dirty coal and send a strong signal to power stations, transport and heavy industry to shift away from fossil fuels to solar and wind energy.
"Premier Iemma's plan for carbon trading is little more than a vague proposal that may barely scratch the surface, churning out free licenses to pollute rather than making the polluters pay.
"Premier Iemma need only look to the European trading scheme which had more holes than Swiss cheese. Caps on greenhouse emissions were set too high, big companies made billions of dollars by selling their excess permits and emissions did not significantly reduce.
"The Greens private members bill will phase-in a carbon tax for all greenhouse gas emitters, starting at $5 per tonne of carbon dioxide from 2007 and growing to $25 per tonne by 2011.
"By 2011, the carbon tax will have raised $4.8 billion in revenue which the Greens will direct to renewable energy industries and job creation.
"A carbon tax is simple, easily enforceable and does not rely on complicated drawn-out international negotiations. We will be knee-deep in seawater before Premier Iemma's trading scheme is rolled out.
"Australia is on the brink of runaway climate change and Premier Iemma is dragging his feet rather than hitting his stride to reduce greenhouse gases.
"Taxing emissions is the best way to create an energy market that gives low carbon sources a fair chance to compete against coal. If NSW fails to introduce a tax that makes greenhouse polluters pay we will see more jobs and more technologies going overseas.
"The Greens challenge Premier Iemma and Mr Debnam to stand up to the big end of town and make the polluter pay", said Ms Rhiannon
