The Opposition has leaked its plan for double dissolution over the carbon tax. From The Australian:
TONY Abbott would prepare for a double-dissolution election within five months of taking office if parliament blocked the repeal of the carbon tax, under a 12-month action blueprint to transform the nation’s environmental laws.
…The timetable outlines how the Coalition’s environment plans would be implemented. The federal environment department would be instructed on day one of an Abbott government to prepare legislation to scrap the carbon tax. The legislation would be introduced to parliament on day 30 and preparations would be made for a double-dissolution election after five months if parliament did not agree to repeal the carbon tax.
A call for submissions on the direct action plan to replace the carbon tax would be made on day 30 of an Abbott government and a white paper prepared the following month.
The white paper would be released on day 105 with a two-month consultation period before legislation was introduced on the six-month anniversary of a Coalition government. Implementation would take place after 10 months.
Discussions would begin with state governments to hand over environmental decision-making powers after one month, with a preliminary agreement in place at the end of month two.
…Draft guidelines for the creation of a “green army” would be released after one month with stage one projects to be confirmed after six months and introduced after eight.
Where is the sense in this? The carbon price will already fall to $10-$15 one year later when it joins the EU scheme. In the mean time, we’re going to go through this incredibly wasteful, markets destabilising, socially divisive exercise to rid the nation of a price that has been endorsed by the economic titans of both political parties and the goal of which is nothing short of saving civilisation. And we’re going to do this why? To replace it with a scheme that will be more expensive and achieve less.
I mean, seriously?
Perhaps not, at least according to BS’s Rob Burgess:
In essence, some strong [Labor] proponents of climate change action believe Bill Shorten has begun lobbying members of Caucus to abandon carbon pricing as a Labor policy after the next election.
The argument follows the precedent set by the Coaltion over WorkChoices – though many in the Liberal and National parties believed it was the right policy, they were required to disown it after the 2007 election so as to avoid spending years in the political wilderness.
After the 2013 election, Labor could be tempted to walk away from its own electoral poison – CarbonChoices, if you will.
…Another Labor MP said Shorten was “quite capable” of such a policy backflip.
…A ‘CarbonChoices’ strategy would have two effects…Firstly, it would allow a new leader (neither Rudd nor Gillard) to say about carbon pricing what the Coalition said about WorkChoices – it’s dead, buried and cremated – and focus on the more successful parts of Labor’s legacy…Secondly, it would eliminate the threat of a leadership challenge by anyone who was deeply involved in that unpopular policy. And who, besides Shorten, is in the frame as a potential leader if Labor loses the election? Why Greg Combet, of course, minister for climate change.
So this is the way the world ends, with a roar of populist triumph.
