Seriously bad
Mulling over the mess we find ourselves in, it occurred to me that there are several other reasons (apart from those most frequently discussed) why a carbon [dioxide] tax is a very bad idea.
- The US economy is in strife. Unless congress can agree an increase to the borrowing ceiling, things could get very bad, very quickly, dragging the global economy down.
- The EU is in strife. Greece is on the verge of default, Ireland’s finances have junk status, Italy has joined the queue next in line, after Spain and Portugal, waiting for a handout. If the worst happens, the European currency could be blown apart sending the economy into a tailspin, again, dragging the global economy with it.
- I am of the old school that believes that drastic reforms should only be undertaken when a government has a clear and unambiguous mandate to do so. Minority or shaky coalition governments should do nothing that rocks the boat – their job is little more than to keep the country on the straight and narrow. But here we have a government with a wafer thin majority thanks to a couple of independents and a Green, undertaking the biggest wholesale reform of our economy since the GST. Only when a government has a substantial majority and a clear mandate should it embark on such major reforms.
And despite all of these issues, and all of the well-rehearsed ones as well, the government ploughs on regardless. That is because it has, at every turn, placed its own survival above what is in the country’s best interests – the worst possible crime of a politician.
UPDATE: Add to the list the fact that consumer confidence in Australia is sinking fast.
UPDATE 2: An opinion column in The Australian on 15 July covers the same ground.
Australian Climate Madness 
I predict that 2013 will see the biggest Coalition landslide in federal political history. I also predict that if the Greens block Abbott’’s attempts to repeal the tax, there will be a double-dissolution and the Greens will we wiped out along the lines of the Democrats.
A minority government, and one that said there would be no carbon [dioxide] tax. They’re deluding themselves if they believe they have a mandate.
This multiplies their folly beyond the ludicrous.
Totally agree. IMHO this is nothing more than a massive tax grab and the only way the ALP has any hope of clawing back the $286bn it has blown since coming to power.
I’m sure the independents mean well, but I fear their motivation is to write themselves into the History books as the saviours of the planet – Ego ahead of common sense.
Bring on the election !
A decade down the track, when the tax is long gone and all the damage accounted for, how will Gillard and Brown be seen? If the damage is temporary, they will be a laughing stock. If it is irreperable, they will be seen with hate and disdain for sweeping democracy aside to inflict this upon us.
There is only one reason why Australia is not following in the same economic doldrums of America or the European Union – Chinese demand for our minerals.
Australia is in virtual recession with consumer confidence at disturbingly low levels, yet we now have a Government that wants to impose a carbon ‘dioxide’ tax and a mining tax on the only industry that is helping to keep this country afloat.
If this lunatic government wanted to cripple our economy they couldn’t have done or timed it any better. Now is not the time to place shackles on our mining industry.
The title of your blog becomes increasingly relevant.
http://www.juandemariana.org/pdf/090327-employment-public-aid-renewable.pdf [Editors note: long PDF]
must read why Spain is broke
And the key points read:
The carbon tax is a bad idea for one fundamental reason… the IPCC got it all wrong about being 90% certain that humans are the main cause of climate change… that Co2 emissions from human activities is causing catastrophic global warming.
In its AR3 report, the IPCC rightly acknowledged that the climate system is highly complex and chaotic, giving rise to so much uncertainty… that no climate models will ever be able to simulate future climate change.
There you have it… highly complex… chaotic… uncertain!
Climate is complex and chaotic because numerous factors actually have an impact on climate e.g. solar activity, cosmic particles, clouds, humidity, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, other ocean influences, volcanic activity, aerosols, etc etc. And yes, also Co2. Then there is the holy grail of science… resolving the uncertainties about feedback mechanisms.
The science is far from settled!
So how the hell can anyone think that by tweaking Co2, just one aspect of this highly complex, chaotic and uncertain climate system, which scientists don’t fully understand, that we can magically reduce temperature by 2C degrees or whatever, and we can stop climate change?
To suggest so is infantile, absurd and insane! And this is why the Gillards, the Garnauts and the Flannerys are nothing but climate change charlatans… modern day snake-oil salesmen. Scam… scam… scam!
Keating is on Late Line right now. He let slip the new left wing strategy. If the media don’t start bagging Tony Abbot the left are going to make their lives difficult. Sounds just like a Get Up! strategy.
Yes, I saw Keatings interview as well. Things must be getting pretty desperate for Gillard and co if the old heavies are making noises. The problem however is not the media giving so called ‘bad press’. I listen to the press for a running commentry (which sadly is often pretty toothless), however, for me and I suspect for many of us, I form many opinions from reading the numerous good (and some not so good) blogs around the place. I initially (before the blogs) become dubious of the whole warming issue after reading UN and IPCC materials. I smelt a rotten fish back then and the smell has only gotten worse. I am eqully amazed at how many people in my circle of friendships seem to smell the same rotten fish!
Coal is fine because:
1) we filter the aerosols out of the chimney gasses
2) we wash the SO2 out of the chimney gasses.
But please let the CO2 get out free in the atmosphere.
CO2 is not the reason for climate variations.
CO2 is plant food.
It will help to avoid hunger due to the growing world population.