Australia’s new federal Labor leader Bill Shorten appears prepared to force a parliamentary showdown with the new conservative Liberal-National government over the country’s carbon price legislation.
Mr Shorten, who took the Australian Labor Partys top job yesterday despite a rebuff from the party’s rank and file, is undeterred on the issue.
This morning the Liberal-National government revealed it was close to releasing draft laws for the repeal of the carbon price and warned Labor not to block attempts to have the legislation quickly clear parliament.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt told a media conference the draft legislation was near completion and would be released “imminently” for consultation.
The government has vowed to introduce the finalised legislation to the House of Representatives in the first sitting week of parliament next month.
However, Mr Shorten has made the Labor opposition’s position clear saying: “It is important to maintain a price on carbon pollution.”
He said politicians should not “delay today’s problems to tomorrow’s generation.”
The Liberal-National government wants the repeal laws passed well before June 30 next year, but this could be difficult given Mr Shorten has indicated the opposition won’t support any bid to remove carbon pricing.
“It will be up to the new leader of the opposition and the ALP caucus as their first legislative decision to determine whether or not they accept the outcome of the election,” Mr Hunt told reporters in Canberra today.
Labor and the Australian Greens Party together have the numbers in the upper house Senate to block any repeal legislation before a seemingly more compliant upper house operates from July 2014.
Mr Hunt said repealing the fixed carbon price was a question for the incoming parliament and the government would not wait for new senators to enter the upper house.
He repeated the government’s threat to go to a double-dissolution election if Labor insisted on blocking the legislation from going through both houses of parliament.
“All options are on the table and we will be relentless in carrying out our commitment to repeal the carbon tax,” he said.
Liable companies need to report in October their emissions for the 2012/13 year and in February must surrender enough permits to cover their emissions or pay a shortfall charge.
“On something as important as putting a price on carbon pollution, I stated during the leadership campaign I believe it is important to maintain a price on carbon pollution,” Mr Shorten said earlier.
The battle over the carbon pricing legislation is set to dominate parliament when it returns early next month.
In a pointed reference to the new Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s tactics as opposition leader, Mr Shorten vowed not to wage a campaign of relentless negativity.
Labor’s party members were given a say in electing a party leader for the first time and 60 per cent voted for Anthony Albanese in the historic ballot.
However, caucus backed Mr Shorten 55 votes to 31 and, when the two tallies were weighted against each other, Mr Shorten had 52 per cent of the vote.
Despite the conflict, the new leader is confident he has wholehearted party support and vows to be a consultative leader.
“This ballot shows that there are still things for me to learn,” he said.
Mr Shorten’s election almost forced his mother-in-law, Governor-General Quentin Bryce into earlier-than-expected retirement.
Mr Abbott revealed Ms Bryce offered to resign to avoid any perception of bias.
“I have thanked her for her magnanimity but declined to accept her resignation,” the prime minister said.
The Labor caucus met again today to elect Tanya Plibersek as deputy leader, and select those who will be members of the shadow ministry.
Mr Shorten will allocate portfolios on Friday.
4 Responses
Double Dissolution or Double Dissillusion election yes please. Perhaps get rid on the Lord Monkden, Ruphert , Foreign Mining party already!! Perhaps there will have to be a leadership challenge by Malcolm who has at least a bit on intelligence and is knows that carbon emissions are far more important than foreign mining companies.
Michael – you are wrong again – there has been no temperature rise in the last 15years as admitted by Professor Phil Jones, Head of the Climate Research Institute (where the IPCC gets its data from) – he admitted this in front of a Parliamentary Commission inquiry into the Climate-Gate affair. (just look up his statement buddy…)
There is something called democracy in this country – the people (for right or wrong) have voted against the Carbon & Mining taxes.
Or are you from a Socialist country like France where they pay 100% in total Taxes? We don’t need the Government to ‘manage’ every facet of our lives like a parent….your view of the world is very simplistic and child-like….
The taxes are to break-us not build our nation up mate.
Maat,
Have you read the newest info from IPCC or not?
Stop spreading the wrong info.
Your view is child-like indeed.
The same IPCC who put out the Climate-Gate fraudulent data ‘hiding the decline’ in temperature – the same IPCC who have recently admitted they got their temperature modelling massively wrong? the same IPCC who claim the Arctic Ice sheets are shrinking when they have increased 29% year on year as proven by NASA?
No i don’t think ill give them another chance to mis-direct or waste my time mate. Wrong info? – well prove any of what i’ve written is incorrect – even the Tax rate of the French citizens…just Google it Sean, and if you cant see the truth i cant help you buddy……