The fight to scrap Australia’s carbon price laws could drag out for months in the Senate, with the opposition Labor Party and the Australian Greens Party indicating they won’t change their stance any time soon.
The package of carbon price repeal bills is the first item of business for the upper house today but despite the conservative Liberal-National government’s wish, no speedy resolution is likely.
AAP Newsagency reports Prime Minister Tony Abbott has stepped up the pressure on Labor to stand aside and let the bills through, saying the carbon price should be history by July.
Mr Abbott is particularly keen to have the laws repealed before July to prevent a further 12 months of the fixed price Emissions Trading Scheme being imposed on businesses.
However, Labor still opposes the proposed legislation and the Australian Greens have vowed to do everything possible to stop it going through before a new Senate takes over in July.
That Senate should be more amenable to the Liberal-National government’s wishes as it will contain a number of independent senators.
“In the meantime, we will be doing everything to stop Tony Abbott getting his own way,” Australian Greens leader Christine Milne told AAP in the national capital, Canberra.
“We will vote against what Tony Abbott is trying to do.”
The Liberal-National Environment Minister Greg Hunt recently said he was exceptionally confident the carbon price laws would be repealed in the first two weeks of the new Senate in July.
Mr Abbott had warned last year he’d keep parliament open until Christmas if the bills were not put to a vote before parliament rose, but the threat never materialised.
Labor and the Australian Greens used their numbers in the Senate last year to drag out debate and prevent the repeal legislation from being put to a vote.
