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| Coalition begins 'carbon tax' assault on Labor climate policy – politics live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Scott Morrison finishes his press conference with an attack on the Greens, which in this political climate, is an attack on Labor: | |
| Now, the Labor Party have got to apply their own rule to their own decisions. If they want to have this rule which says minor parties should be considered separate to the mainstream parties, well it seems that the Labor Party doesn’t think the Greens have these extreme views. | |
| They’ve got to apply the same ruler to themselves. We’ve made our decisions on this. The challenge is on Labor now: Are you for national security? Are you for the US alliance? Are you for border protection? Are you against death taxes? If that’s your view, if you’re for all of those things, then by all means put the Greens ahead of the Liberal Party. But if you’re not, then you shouldn’t do that.” | |
| We now need to change the national anthem. We are no longer girt by sea, apparently, because – Labor. | |
| Scott Morrison: | |
| The only difference, when it comes to the National Energy Guarantee in terms of what Labor are proposing, is this: the reliability energy guarantee, which was part of the Neg we brought forward at the time, that’s now happening. | |
| That’s the important part. The bit Labor are applying to that is legislating a 45% emissions reduction target. That’s what Labor are doing. They are going to legislate that. That’s not going to reduce power prices. Labor’s Neg actually put prices not down, because they are going to legislate a reckless target that will hit wages, that will hit jobs, that will hit production. | |
| Let’s not forget what they’ve announced today is the extension, effectively, of the native veg laws in Queensland from Queensland Labor, which is basically going to land-lock the country and tell farmers and graziers and pastoralists around the country what they can do, or rather what they cannot do, on their own land. | |
| This is a massive tax on agricultural Australia. It’s a massive tax on jobs. It’s $35 billion that Australian companies are going to have to spend, sending money offshore to foreign carbon traders, carbon credits for Kazakhstan. This is what this is for. | |
| Say it with me now: a talking point does not make it true. | |
| Scott Morrison on Labor’s climate policy: | |
| Bill Shorten does not have a plan, he just has another tax. That’s all this is. Bill Shorten does not have a plan, he just has a tax. | |
| And then there is this absolute pearl of wisdom: | |
| “You make the point about electric vehicles. Well, the government is already taking a number of steps to support the growth in electric vehicles. | |
| “I mean, if you buy an electric vehicle, one of the things you don’t pay is fuel excise. That is already a major advantage for those buying electric vehicles, a big significant leg-up.” | |
| Could that be ... because they are electric? | |
| Actually no, I need to correct that. This election campaign is going to be a very long century. | |
| Scott Morrison: | |
| “That’s why we’ll be handing down a budget surplus tomorrow night, the first in 12 years. It’s been about keeping expenditure under control and it’s been about supporting the growth in the Australian economy and getting Australians off welfare and into work. | |
| It’s the classic 12-point turnaround. That works in AFL and NRL. You stop one team scoring down one end and you score on the other. | |
| “People receiving welfare under our government are now paying tax because they have jobs. That’s how you balance a budget. | |
| Scott Morrison just said “the PBS to me spells H.O.P.E”. | |
| This election campaign is going to be a very long decade. | |
| Andrew Leigh was asked about the government’s “carbon tax” (it’s not) criticism this morning while on Sky: | |
| It’s not, and if it were, then their own policy would be a carbon tax. Kieran, this is simply an extension of a scheme put in place by Malcolm Turnbull. Business has told us that they are sick of the climate wars. They’re sick of the bickering over climate and they want bipartisanship. | |
| Our view is the best way of achieving that is to extend the Turnbull government’s safeguard mechanism that applies to 0.01 % of companies, puts in place a pollution cap and is part of our commitment to seeing Australia meet our internationally agreed carbon targets. As you’ve said before, we’re also taking advice from business to improve the scheme by giving firms access to international credits. | |
| Angus Taylor is also running the “it’s a carbon tax” line while attacking Labor’s climate policy on Sky. | Angus Taylor is also running the “it’s a carbon tax” line while attacking Labor’s climate policy on Sky. |
| Narrator: It’s not. | Narrator: It’s not. |
| There is about to be so much more of this. | There is about to be so much more of this. |
| The Bill Shorten we know... pic.twitter.com/KJOvDWEJZ9 | The Bill Shorten we know... pic.twitter.com/KJOvDWEJZ9 |
| Labor will officially launch its climate policy at midday. | Labor will officially launch its climate policy at midday. |
| There has been a bit of talk that Scott Morrison could head to Government House as soon as the budget is handed down and deny Bill Shorten his budget-in-reply speech (which is usually done on the Thursday). | There has been a bit of talk that Scott Morrison could head to Government House as soon as the budget is handed down and deny Bill Shorten his budget-in-reply speech (which is usually done on the Thursday). |
| Back in November, when he announced the budget date, Morrison said this: | Back in November, when he announced the budget date, Morrison said this: |
| We’ll deal with the normal budget week in the way budgets are always handled. So yes, I would anticipate that the leader of the opposition would make his reply in the normal way. | We’ll deal with the normal budget week in the way budgets are always handled. So yes, I would anticipate that the leader of the opposition would make his reply in the normal way. |
| Of course, Morrison is going to do whatever he believes is in the best interests of keeping the Coalition in power, so that could include a Wednesday trip down the road, but it is doubtful. Mostly because it would kickstart the election campaign with allegations of arrogance and bad sportsmanship, and I’m pretty sure those qualities don’t play so well in focus groups. | Of course, Morrison is going to do whatever he believes is in the best interests of keeping the Coalition in power, so that could include a Wednesday trip down the road, but it is doubtful. Mostly because it would kickstart the election campaign with allegations of arrogance and bad sportsmanship, and I’m pretty sure those qualities don’t play so well in focus groups. |
| On why Labor announced its climate policy today – budget eve, and usually one of the days when, as we say in the biz, the trash gets taken out (the budget tends to cut down on scrutiny because, well, there is usually plenty to scrutinise in the budget papers, even in a unicorn budget like this) – Mark Butler had this to say: | On why Labor announced its climate policy today – budget eve, and usually one of the days when, as we say in the biz, the trash gets taken out (the budget tends to cut down on scrutiny because, well, there is usually plenty to scrutinise in the budget papers, even in a unicorn budget like this) – Mark Butler had this to say: |
| This is about making sure, as we lead into the election, climate change is a particular focus of the campaign, and recognising that five or six years of vandalism on climate change policy cannot continue. It is simply an abrogation of the responsibility we have to our children, our grandchildren, and those beyond. | This is about making sure, as we lead into the election, climate change is a particular focus of the campaign, and recognising that five or six years of vandalism on climate change policy cannot continue. It is simply an abrogation of the responsibility we have to our children, our grandchildren, and those beyond. |
| The Greens are not impressed with Labor’s climate policy, with Adam Bandt calling it a “dog’s breakfast”. | The Greens are not impressed with Labor’s climate policy, with Adam Bandt calling it a “dog’s breakfast”. |
| “There are a couple of good ideas here, but overall this is a dog’s breakfast of Liberal party leftovers, with no plan for coal and no hope of meeting the Paris agreement goals,” Brandt said in a statement. | “There are a couple of good ideas here, but overall this is a dog’s breakfast of Liberal party leftovers, with no plan for coal and no hope of meeting the Paris agreement goals,” Brandt said in a statement. |
| “Coal is the single biggest contributor to climate change. If you don’t have a plan for coal, you’re not serious about climate change.” | “Coal is the single biggest contributor to climate change. If you don’t have a plan for coal, you’re not serious about climate change.” |
| You’ll find some of the Greens’ complaints below: | You’ll find some of the Greens’ complaints below: |
| Safeguards: | Safeguards: |
| “The Neg and so-called ‘safeguards’ were created by the climate change-denying Liberal party and should be put in the bin, not reheated by Labor and served up as a climate policy.” | “The Neg and so-called ‘safeguards’ were created by the climate change-denying Liberal party and should be put in the bin, not reheated by Labor and served up as a climate policy.” |
| “By adopting the ineffective safeguard mechanism with huge carve-outs for some sectors, it looks like the free ride for big business in this country on climate will continue under Bill Shorten. | “By adopting the ineffective safeguard mechanism with huge carve-outs for some sectors, it looks like the free ride for big business in this country on climate will continue under Bill Shorten. |
| International offsets: | International offsets: |
| “Labor has also confirmed it will adopt a dodgy accounting trick that even Tony Abbott opposes by allowing business to use international offsets.” | “Labor has also confirmed it will adopt a dodgy accounting trick that even Tony Abbott opposes by allowing business to use international offsets.” |
| “International offsets delay climate action in Australia. More coal will be burnt at home and the transition to 100% renewables will be delayed.” | “International offsets delay climate action in Australia. More coal will be burnt at home and the transition to 100% renewables will be delayed.” |
| Electric cars: | Electric cars: |
| “Not only does the target lack ambition, but the policy lacks mechanisms that would get us even close to 50% electric vehicles by 2030,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport and infrastructure spokesperson. | “Not only does the target lack ambition, but the policy lacks mechanisms that would get us even close to 50% electric vehicles by 2030,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport and infrastructure spokesperson. |
| “Labor’s EV announcement is nothing but an attempt to grab some headlines on climate change without any actual substance.” | “Labor’s EV announcement is nothing but an attempt to grab some headlines on climate change without any actual substance.” |
| Doesn’t this just sound like an absolute par-tay! | Doesn’t this just sound like an absolute par-tay! |
| Deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Michael McCormack and minister for urban infrastructure Alan Tudge will discuss the Liberal and National government’s investment in infrastructure. | Deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Michael McCormack and minister for urban infrastructure Alan Tudge will discuss the Liberal and National government’s investment in infrastructure. |
| That’ll be happening at 10.30am. | That’ll be happening at 10.30am. |
| I am just not sure we can handle that much charisma this early on a Monday morning. | I am just not sure we can handle that much charisma this early on a Monday morning. |
| We also have Mathias Cormann once again uttering the words “carbon tax”, this time to ABC radio: | We also have Mathias Cormann once again uttering the words “carbon tax”, this time to ABC radio: |
| Labor talks a lot, but what they have put out would harm the economy, would harm families, would cost jobs, would drive up unemployment and, indeed, Labor would bring back a carbon tax, they would force people across Australia to pay tens of billions of dollars in higher taxes, only for them to send that money overseas to pay for international carbon credits. | Labor talks a lot, but what they have put out would harm the economy, would harm families, would cost jobs, would drive up unemployment and, indeed, Labor would bring back a carbon tax, they would force people across Australia to pay tens of billions of dollars in higher taxes, only for them to send that money overseas to pay for international carbon credits. |
| ... You seem to be deliberately ignoring the fact that Labor have confirmed that they want to send money overseas to buy international carbon permits. That means that they will be imposing tens of billions of dollars in higher taxes on Australians, which should remain either in Australians’ pockets, so they can spend it here on Australia ... or should be available to government to invest on essential services here in Australia. | ... You seem to be deliberately ignoring the fact that Labor have confirmed that they want to send money overseas to buy international carbon permits. That means that they will be imposing tens of billions of dollars in higher taxes on Australians, which should remain either in Australians’ pockets, so they can spend it here on Australia ... or should be available to government to invest on essential services here in Australia. |
| If Labor wants to buy international carbon permits, as they have said they would, they will have to increase the tax burden on Australians ... and that clearly is going back to the carbon tax, the discredited carbon tax arrangements of past Labor governments. | If Labor wants to buy international carbon permits, as they have said they would, they will have to increase the tax burden on Australians ... and that clearly is going back to the carbon tax, the discredited carbon tax arrangements of past Labor governments. |
| He, of course, was attacking Labor’s climate policy. | He, of course, was attacking Labor’s climate policy. |
| But this time around we have the admission from Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff Peta Credlin, who in early 2017 told Sky News this about the last time the Coalition used the carbon tax attack line: | But this time around we have the admission from Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff Peta Credlin, who in early 2017 told Sky News this about the last time the Coalition used the carbon tax attack line: |
| Along comes a carbon tax. It wasn’t a carbon tax, as you know. It was many other things in nomenclature terms but we made it a carbon tax. We made it a fight about the hip pocket and not about the environment. That was brutal retail politics and it took Abbott about six months to cut through and when he cut through, Gillard was gone. | Along comes a carbon tax. It wasn’t a carbon tax, as you know. It was many other things in nomenclature terms but we made it a carbon tax. We made it a fight about the hip pocket and not about the environment. That was brutal retail politics and it took Abbott about six months to cut through and when he cut through, Gillard was gone. |
| Mark Butler, also speaking to Fran Kelly, responded just a few minutes after Cormann: | Mark Butler, also speaking to Fran Kelly, responded just a few minutes after Cormann: |
| What rubbish. Maybe he should go and talk to every single big business, including all of the businesses in his own state of Western Australia that cannot understand why a supposedly pro-market party has an objection to businesses trading in international carbon markets. | What rubbish. Maybe he should go and talk to every single big business, including all of the businesses in his own state of Western Australia that cannot understand why a supposedly pro-market party has an objection to businesses trading in international carbon markets. |
| We allow business to trade in every other robust international market – why on earth would we not allow them to trade in international carbon markets? Provided of course that they are robust and they are credible, which is Labor’s position – and it is also the position of the Australian business community. | We allow business to trade in every other robust international market – why on earth would we not allow them to trade in international carbon markets? Provided of course that they are robust and they are credible, which is Labor’s position – and it is also the position of the Australian business community. |