LABOR’S Extra Tax Scheme CONSIGNED TO HISTORY

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The Labor Government’s ‘so called’ Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill was again soundly defeated in the Senate today.

North Queensland based Liberal Senator and Federal Opposition Spokesman on Northern Australia Senator Ian Macdonald said that Labor’s attempts to impose a massive tax burden on Australians for no environmental gain, had received its just rewards.

“I am very happy for Queenslanders that Labor’s money raising scheme has been consigned to the scrapbook of history”.

“Queensland stood to be amongst the worst affected had Mr Rudd’s Bill been passed by the Parliament.

“Jobs would have been lost, particularly in Central and North Queensland, industries would have been moved overseas, electricity and transport costs would have skyrocketed and all this for no environmental gain.

“With Australia contributing less that 1.4% to world emissions, Mr Rudd’s legislation would have had absolutely no impact on the Barrier Reef, on bush fires or cyclones, or indeed on the changing climate of the world. Total global emissions would only have been reduced by 0.2%.

“There are better ways to address climate change.  Better ways that don’t impose an intolerable tax burden on Australians and put many Australians in fear of losing their employment and their way of life.

“It was simply crazy of the Labor Government to attempt to force through very complicated Legislation in the dying hours of the Parliamentary year, in advance of the Copenhagen Climate Conference which is about to commence.

“I, and most Australians, could never understand this mad rush to have Legislation in place before we see what the rest of the world was doing.

“Practically none of the big emitters have any legislated response to climate change and it was incomprehensible that Australia should have a differeny position.

“I would certainly hope that the Copenhagen conference comes up with a unanimous world wide approach to reducing the impacts of climate change, and if it does, Australia should be part of it.

“The Liberal Party will be working assiduously over the next few months to develop its alternative proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in concert with the rest of the world.

“But at the end of the day I am delighted that Central and North Queenslanders have been spared the huge taxes and job losses that would have followed Mr Rudd’s CPRS.

END

2 December 2009

Media contact: Gordon Terry (07) 4771 3066 or  0427 960 255                                           

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