THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
Cabinet Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation
MEDIA RELEASE
ABBOTT’S NEW YEAR CLIMATE DELUSIONS ALREADY IN FULL FLIGHT
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has begun the new year with a fresh round of shameless deceit on climate change.
This morning in an interview with ABC Radio's Ian Henschke, Mr Abbott denied saying that climate change was "absolute crap" during a visit to a country Victoria just over three years ago:
"Well I never quite said that, Ian. I think I've been verballed a bit when it comes to the particular statement that I made. Look I've said all along that climate change is real. That humanity makes a contribution and that we should have a strong and effective policy to deal with it."
However Mr Abbott's "absolute crap" comment and his disbelief in the science of climate change were clearly recorded and publicly documented at the time, as follows:
"The argument is absolute crap...however, the politics of this are tough for us. Eighty per cent of people believe climate change is a real and present danger." - Tony Abbott in Beaufort, Victoria (1 October 2009)
In addition to this lie, the Opposition Leader has been consistently trying to pretend that the world is not acting on climate change.
However, now that US President Barack Obama has publically outlined a very deep commitment to action on climate change, Mr Abbott is at it again, ludicrously claiming he is "at one" with President Obama on tackling climate change, and falsely claiming the US administration embraces the Coalition's discredited direct action' plan.
"Like President Obama, the Coalition in government will take direct action measures to try to reduce emissions such as planting more trees, improving our soils, using smarter technologies. So, President Obama and I are very much on the same page when it comes to dealing with climate change."
The United States already has an effective carbon price in place through EPA regulations on industrial carbon pollution and vehicles which bears no similarity to the Coalition's policy. California, one of the biggest economies in the world, has just started an emissions trading scheme similar to Australia's, and nine other US states have introduced carbon pricing.
"It is well-understood that the Obama administration proceeded with regulation to curb carbon emissions because it has been legislatively blocked by a hostile Congress. This does not amount to an acceptance of Tony Abbott's hare-brained direct action' plan," said Mark Dreyfus, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.
"'Direct action' means whacking taxpayers with a bill to pay big polluters to reduce emissions. The Obama administration is using regulation and investment in clean technologies, like the Gillard Government's Clean Energy Future Package's Clean Energy Finance Corporation, to make cuts to emissions.
"Tony Abbott pretending President Obama is his soul mate on the question of climate change, or any other policy, is delusional beyond belief. This is a politician who is prepared to say anything, perhaps because he is so rarely held to account," said Mr Dreyfus.
Mr Abbott continued his shameful lies to listeners with an old favourite:
"...the Australian carbon tax is the world's biggest and there is no evidence that other countries are moving towards carbon taxes or emissions trading schemes at anything like the level that we've got."
Mr Abbott needs to do some research and hire a fact checker:
From this year, more than 50 national or sub-national regions will have emissions trading schemes or a carbon price, and in some cases both, covering a combined population of around 1.1 billion people across the world. A number of countries have a carbon price set higher than Australia's:
Norway's carbon tax on petrol is $64.
Switzerland's carbon tax on fossil fuels is around $37.
Sweden's tax on heating fuels is $145
Ireland's carbon tax is around $24.
Finland's fuel taxes are $38 to $76
In Canada, British Columbia's carbon tax is $28
And the UK has introduced a price floor for the electricity sector starting at $24
(figures as of the end of 2012)
Apart from Canada, these countries are also covered by Europe's emission trading scheme.
"One scheme stands out amongst them all with a higher price than almost any other in the world," said Mr Dreyfus.
"At over $62 a tonne of carbon pollution, it's Mr Abbott's direct action' scheme - costing households $1300 each every year; a scheme which will repeal tax cuts, pension and family payment increases."
"By contrast, the Gillard Government has successfully implemented a carefully constructed suite of climate policies and mechanisms that have been praised internationally, are proving effective according to data released just yesterday and which treat households as equitably as possible in line with the ALP's values of looking after the community when important changes need to be made," said Mr Dreyfus.
THURSDAY, 24 JANUARY 2013
