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Below: The ABC's TV current affairs discussion program Q & A has looked at the Gillard Goverment's proposed carbon tax. The panelists involved are; Assistant Treasurer, Bill Shorten, Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull, political columnist Piers Akerman, UN youth representative Samah Hadid, and author, comedian and television personality Gretel Killeen. Below: Professor Ross Finnie of the University of Ottawa is an economist. Here he explains how a carbon tax is intended to work and how cap and trade or emission tading schemes work. The Professor favours a carbon price. Below: Dr Tim Ball interviewed on Canadian TV's The Corbett Report. Dr Ball is critical of British Columbia's carbon tax. Dr Ball is a Canadian climatologist and Professor Emeritus, who is sceptical about the theory of global warming caused by human intervention. Below: An ABC news report on the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard's, announcement of a carbon tax on February 24, 2011. The report explains the tax and gives the views of Julia Gillard, the Opposition leader, Tony Abbott and the Greens' leader, Bob Brown. |
 Web links and documents |
The full text of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007 can be found at http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg2/en/contents.html
The Report details the environmental and economic harm already attributable to climate change and suggests further harms likely to occur unless greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced.
The Garnaut Climate Change Review is a study by Professor Ross Garnaut, commissioned by then Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd and by the Australian State and Territory Governments on 30 April 2007. The Review examines the impacts of climate change on the Australian economy, and recommends medium to long-term policies and policy frameworks to improve the prospects for sustainable prosperity.
The Review includes detailed overviews of the anticipated effects of climate change on Australia and other nations.
The full text of the final Review , released in 2008, can be read at http://www.garnautreview.org.au/index.htm
The Institute of Public Affairs Review Vol.60 No 4 contains four articles and an editorial opposing emissions trading. The first is titled 'Emissions trading: Towards the biggest economic change in Australian history' and was written by Chris Berg and Alan Moran. The authors argue that such a scheme is too open-ended, its economic consequences too ill-defined and its environmental benefits dubious. The full text of these articles can be read at http://www.ipa.org.au/library/publication/1229552842_document_review60_4-distro.pdf
They begin on page 35. All are criticisms of the emissions trading scheme and the environmental science that is used to justify it.
In 2008 LaTrobe University News published an opinion piece by Keith Knedall arguing that a carbon tax was a more effective means of reducing carbon emissions than an emissions trading scheme. The piece is titled 'Why a carbon tax should be Australia's answer to climate change' and can be read in full at http://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2008/opinion/why-a-carbon-tax-should-be-australias-answer-to-climate-change
On September 27, 2010, the ABC published an opinion piece by Leigh Ewbank, a volunteer for Beyond Zero Emissions. The comment is titled, 'Carbon tax could be the ticket for a greener Australia'. The piece looks at the shortcomings of the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme and argues that a carbon tax may be a better alternative for Australia. The full text of the comment can be read at http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2010/09/27/3023084.htm
On December 8, 2010, the Institute of Public Affairs released an opinion piece titled, 'Retreat now, before the cost soars'. The piece considers the adverse economic effects (including a reduction of investment in power-generation plant) that would result from the carbon tax then being discussed by Julia Gillard. The full text of this report can be found at http://www.ipa.org.au/news/2249/retreat-now-before-the-cost-soars
On February 23, 2011, there was a debate in the federal parliament on whether a carbon tax should be introduced into Australia. A range of speakers presented elements of both sides of this issue. Their comments can be found at http://www.openaustralia.org/debates/?id=2011-02-23.76.2
On February 24, 2011, the Prime Minster's Press office issued a media release titled, 'Climate change framework announced'. The full text of the press release can be read at http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/climate-change-framework-announced
On February 24, 2011, the ABC's The 7.30 Report produced a report on the Labor Government's announcement of a carbon tax. The report includes comments from both the Prime Minister and the leader of the Opposition. A full transcript of the report can be read at http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3148276.htm
The report can be viewed at http://abcscience.com.au/news/video/2011/02/24/3148276.htm
On February 24, 2011, The Greens issued a media release indicating their support for the Gillard Government's proposed carbon tax. The release also states The Greens' long-term objective of a fix carbon price with 'no international offsets allowed'.
The full text of this release can be read at http://bob-brown.greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/carbon-price-agreement-transformation-clean-energy-can-start-now
On February 25, 2011, The Sydney Morning Herald ran an opinion piece titled 'Common myths about climate change' written by Ben Cubby which refutes a variety of claims about climate change including that it is not caused by human activity. The full text of this article can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/common-myths-about-climate-change-20110225-1b86f.html
On February 27, 2011, new.com.au ran a report titled, 'Carbon tax "vital" for future jobs, says Climate Institute '. The report details the Climate Institute's claims that a carbon tax could lead to the generation of some 31,000 in clean electricity generation. The full text of the report can be found at http://www.news.com.au/national/carbon-tax-vital-for-future-jobs-says-climate-institute/story-e6frfkvr-1226013148844
On February 27, 2011, the ABC ran a news report titled 'Households to be compensated for carbon tax'. The report treats the Government's assurance that it will 'assist people, households, industries most affected'. The full text of the report can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/27/3150029.htm
On February 27, 2011, The Daily Telegraph ran an editorial titled, 'Carbon tax will change our world'. The editorial argues that the tax will cause wide ranging increases in the cost of most goods. It raises questions about the Government's ability to effectively implement such a scheme. The full text of this editorial can be found at http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/carbon-tax-will-change-our-world/story-e6frezz0-1226012515335
On February 28, 2011, the ABC's The 7.30 Report interviewed the leader of The Greens, Bob Brown, on the proposed carbon tax. Brown is questioned on the role his party played in the formulation of the proposed tax and whether the tax will be imposed on petrol. The full text of the interview can be read at http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3151237.htm
There is also a link to video of the interview.
On February 28, 2011, the ABC's opinion site The Drum Unleashed published a comment by Mungo MacCallum, a political journalist and commentator. The comment is titled 'No more jokes on climate change: this is serious'. The piece looks at the political background to attempts to reduce Australia's carbon emissions. It is essentially in support of the tax. The full text of the comment can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/44516.html
On February 28, 2011, Inside Retailing published an opinion piece by Robert Stockdill arguing that the Gillard Government has not reached consensus as to how and on what this new tax will be applied. The piece also argues that the Government has no idea as to what its probable effects on the economy will be. It is titled, 'Carbon tax folly lacks foundation' and can be read in full at http://www.insideretailing.com.au/Latest/tabid/53/ID/10175/Carbon-tax-folly-lacks-foundation.aspx
Stop Gillard's Carbon Tax is a lobby group whose aim is to stop the imposition of a carbon tax in Australia. The group's Internet site encourages browsers to petition the federal Parliament not to introduce the tax. The site can be found at http://www.stopgillardscarbontax.com/
On March 1, 2011, The Institute of Public Affairs published an editorial titled, 'Dirty little lie on carbon tax'. The Institute claims that the tax is unlikely to be successful and would only be legitimate if taken in conjunction with other measures that the government does not appear to support. This opinion piece can be found at http://www.ipa.org.au/news/2299/dirty-little-lie-on-carbon-tax-
On March 1, 2011, The Weekly Times ran a report titled, 'Food prices to soar with carbon tax'. The full text of this article can be found at http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2011/03/01/301741_latest-news.html
On March 2, 2011, the Institute of Public Affairs issued a media release titled, 'Consumers and business will feel the pain of emissions tax'. The release details the harm that the IPA believes will be done Australian consumers and the Australian economy by a carbon tax.
The full text of the comment can be found at http://ipa.org.au/news/2297/consumers-and-business-will-feel-the-pain-of-emissions-tax-
On March 4, 2011, The Punch published an opinion piece by Greens senator, Christine Milne, titled, 'A carbon price is the answer'. The comment details some of The Greens reasons for believing that a carbon price is an effective strategy for reducing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. The full text of the comment can be found at http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/counterpunch-a-carbon-price-is-the-answer/
On March 5, 2011, the ABC published a report titled, 'Coal jobs safe under carbon scheme: Combet' which included comments from the Government's Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, that jobs in effected industries would be protected under a carbon tax regime. The full text of this report can be read at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/05/3156017.htm?section=justin
On March 10, 2011, The Punch published a satirical comment by Tim Wilson which traces a hypothetical day in the life of The Greens leader, Bob Brown, and suggests the contribution to greenhouse gas emissions that a lifestyle such as his might make. The piece implies that all citizens in the modern world are implicated in the emission of greenhouse gases. The piece is titled, 'Carbon Bob: Can he fix it?' and can be read at http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/carbon-bob-can-he-fix-it/
On March 12, 2011, The Daily Telegraph published an opinion piece by Piers Akerman titled, 'Gillard's great carbon lie'. The piece criticises Julia Gillard for breaking an election promise and then claims that a carbon tax would harm the Australian economy for no benefit.
The full text of this comment can be found at http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/gillards-great-carbon-lie/story-e6frezz0-1226012509728