Carbon Wars

Carbon Wars


Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Broadcast: 30/05/2011

Reporter: Chris Uhlmann

The increasingly hot political climate as the Gillard Government ramps up its campaign for a carbon tax.


LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: The carbon wars are escalating in Canberra. The Government's about a month away from delivering details about its carbon price and that means the major political parties are stepping up their efforts to win over public opinion.

Labor's traditional allies in the unions and the environmental and arts sectors are leading its effort.

Chris Uhlmann reports from Canberra.

CHRIS UHLMANN, REPORTER: The venues change every day, but the message never does.

TONY ABBOTT, OPPOSITION LEADER: This carbon tax will have a very big impact. ... Jobs that will be damaged or destroyed by Labor's carbon tax. ..... That's why this carbon tax is gonna be so toxic. ... Labor's toxic carbon tax. ... Don't proceed with this toxic tax. ... No to this toxic tax.

CHRIS UHLMANN: Tony Abbott has stumped the country in a continuous campaign hammering the same mantra penned for the election. It's wounded the Government, so reinforcements are welcome. Unions, activists and environmental groups have banded together to support the push for a carbon price with an ad:

(Excerpt from TV advertisement)

MICHAEL CATON, ACTOR: We be saying yes to less carbon pollution.

CATE BLANCHETT, ACTRESS: And finally doing something about climate change.

(End of excerpt).

CHRIS UHLMANN: And a group of prominent Australians is taking up the cause.

JOHN HEWSON, FORMER LIBERAL LEADER: I'm an Australian first and a member of the Liberal Party second and this issue transcends all current politicians, as I said before, and probably several generations of their offspring.

CHRIS UHLMANN: A former Liberal leader took aim at the incumbent.

JOHN HEWSON: Tony is the master of the negative. He's found a niche in the political debate. Unfortunately the debate so far has just been concentrated on the 24-hour media cycle and he's winning it. Can't blame him for that.

TONY ABBOTT: I have a lot of respect for John. He gave me my start in political life. So, I have a lot of respect for him, but I respectfully disagree with him on this subject.

CHRIS UHLMANN: The Say Yes campaign group is also highlighting concerns across all parts of the economy.

JOHN IVE, WOOL GROWER: I would like to see effort directed to improving the efficiency of sheep by reducing their methane output which will have benefits for the environment, but it'll also benefit my back pocket and that of my colleagues.

CHRIS UHLMANN: But at this stage, agriculture isn't included in climate talks and it's not a front the Government would welcome being opened.

JOCK LAURIE, NATIONAL FARMERS FED.: We've just had a press conference here telling Australia why they need to be part of it, and I'm gonna stand here and tell you why our industry is going to get well and truly shafted under the recommendations as they stand now.

CHRIS UHLMANN: The climate change committee spent the weekend in talks and the Government is hopeful of being able to deliver a consensus package in a month. There's still a long way to go.

CHRISTINE MILNE, DEPUTY GREENS LEADER: We've certainly had an intense couple of days with a lot of support, a lot of detail, documents to consider, and what we've managed to do is really drill down into the detail, but we haven't managed to put together all the pieces that would form a package that will satisfy everyone around the table.

GREG COMBET, CLIMATE CHANGE MINISTER: In a negotiation like this, there's not decisions finally on every element until you've got a package together.

CHRIS UHLMANN: And some key pieces of information are missing. Treasury's modelling will be presented to a special meeting of Cabinet in the middle of the month, and tomorrow the Productivity Commission will hand over a report on what the rest of the world is doing.

TONY WINDSOR, INDEPENDENT: Very important, because it gives a global context of where other parts of the world are going.

CHRIS UHLMANN: Both major parties are now engaged in bitter hand-to-hand combat.

TONY ABBOTT: I think that it's very important that the actors and the celebrities of this country should have their say. They should have their say. People who live in ecomansions have a right to be heard. They really do. People who are worth $53 million have a right to be heard, but their voice should not be heard ahead of the voice of the ordinary working people of this country.

JULIA GILLARD, PRIME MINISTER: When you stand for nothing, it's easy to be divided, isn't it? No sense of purpose, no sense of unity, because under this Leader of the Opposition, they stand for nothing.

CHRIS UHLMANN: The Coalition has lighted on more grim news from abroad.

JULIE BISHOP, DEPUTY LIBERAL LEADER: Given at the weekend Russia, Japan and Canada advised they would not join a second round of carbon cuts under the Kyoto Protocol and the United States has reconfirmed it will not join, will the Prime Minister guarantee that no industries will move and no jobs will be lost overseas as a result of her carbon tax?

JULIA GILLARD: What does David Cameron stand for? This is a man who if he was in Australia would be the holder of a Liberal Party ticket. Well he has announced to his community that he stands for cutting carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2027. 50 per cent by 2027. A conservative.

CHRIS UHLMANN: And English newspaper The Guardian is reporting that greenhouse gas emissions increased by a record amount last year to the highest carbon output in history, according to International Energy Agency figures.

TONY WINDSOR: If the world is serious, I'm deadly serious. I think this is a very serious issue. It's not just about the front pages of papers and the next election; this is a serious issue. But, if the world isn't serious, we'll be like lemmings off a cliff.