Australia carbon tax has strong opposition

Sunday Telegraph:

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"It's a policy straight from the Magic Monkey café of inner-city nirvana-ville, where people ponder the benevolence of how a government can and should affect everything in our lives, including the climate."

The No Carbon Tax collective, as they have styled themselves, claim the levy will result in sweeping job losses in the heavy industries that form the backbone of Australia's economy, and raise the cost of food and petrol. Their stance is backed by some business leaders and the powerful mining companies, whose billionaire owners fear their mega-profits will be hit by the new levy.

But in the more rarefied world of Australia's science labs, universities and left-leaning inner city suburbs, a tax on carbon is considered the first, essential step, on the path to reducing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.

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The "Say Yes" to carbon tax campaign has attracted authors, intellectuals and celebrities, including Cate Blanchett, the actress-turned environmentalist who is so dedicated to the cause that she has reportedly clad her own multi-million dollar Sydney home in solar panels.

But in a sign of the ferociousness of the debate, Blanchett – who previously could do no wrong in the eyes of the Australian public – has been vilified by conservative commentators for supporting the campaign. She was labelled "Carbon Cate", a morally vain, moneyed hypocrite who knew nothing of the ways of "ordinary Australians".

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Following that month's elections, which returned a hung parliament, she was forced to cut a deal with the Greens Party to form a minority government. Although Ms Gillard has never confirmed it, it is widely believed that the deal included the introduction of a carbon tax, as six months later, she astonished the nation when she announced that she was suddenly "dedicated to a putting a price on carbon".

It was a backflip of such speed and clumsiness that many found it difficult to swallow – hence the birth of the No Carbon tax movement.

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Liberals have become the true believers of the climate change racket. Hopefully this vote will lead to the defeat of this government. The carbon tax is no more popular than cap and trade was in the US.