European blood
12-02-2011, 07:09 PM
JULIA Gillard has issued a stern warning to businesses against trying to profiteer from the carbon tax the day the historic legislation passed the Parliament.
As the tax laws cleared the Senate amid applause from the public gallery, more warnings were emerging about skyrocketing electricity prices, the Courier-Mail reported.
Ms Gillard said she knew Australians were anxious about price hikes, but said the Government would keep "explaining" the tax.
Her comments suggest an expensive ad campaign selling the price on carbon is likely to begin soon, before the tax comes into effect next June and compensation begins in May.
The Government also has directed the nation's consumer watchdog to keep a close eye on companies unfairly jacking up prices.
Australian Competition and Consumer Authority chairman Rod Sims yesterday told a seminar in Darwin that Treasurer Wayne Swan had made the order, as the watchdog moves to educate businesses on exactly what types of claims will get them into trouble.
Taxi drivers and a liquor store have already been caught trying to mislead consumers by linking higher prices to the tax.
The PM said businesses would face penalties of more than $1 million if they tried to hike prices and profiteer from the tax.
"We've ensured that there's strong enforcement here," she said.
Labor and the Greens yesterday heralded the passing of the carbon tax legislation, 36 votes to 32, as an historic milestone.
"Today's vote is a win for Australia's children," Ms Gillard said, while Bob Brown declared the moment a "green letter day".
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet - who watched the Senate vote from the public gallery - said the issue had been difficult for the Government.
"This has obviously been a very difficult issue to prosecute and yet it is such an extremely important environmental and economic reform," he said.
The Opposition tried to fight the Bill to the end in the Senate, despite Opposition Leader Tony Abbott leaving the country Monday night. He has promised to repeal the tax if elected.
One amendment - rejected in the final vote - tried to allow electricity companies to only pay for permits when they used them. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon said the rejection of the amendment could mean electricity prices rise an additional 10 per cent, because companies are forced to pay for permits years before they use them, and are expected to pass the premature costs on.
http://www.news.com.au/national/pm-warns-carbon-tax-profiteers/story-e6frfkvr-1226189531678#ixzz1dL1GaZe2
As the tax laws cleared the Senate amid applause from the public gallery, more warnings were emerging about skyrocketing electricity prices, the Courier-Mail reported.
Ms Gillard said she knew Australians were anxious about price hikes, but said the Government would keep "explaining" the tax.
Her comments suggest an expensive ad campaign selling the price on carbon is likely to begin soon, before the tax comes into effect next June and compensation begins in May.
The Government also has directed the nation's consumer watchdog to keep a close eye on companies unfairly jacking up prices.
Australian Competition and Consumer Authority chairman Rod Sims yesterday told a seminar in Darwin that Treasurer Wayne Swan had made the order, as the watchdog moves to educate businesses on exactly what types of claims will get them into trouble.
Taxi drivers and a liquor store have already been caught trying to mislead consumers by linking higher prices to the tax.
The PM said businesses would face penalties of more than $1 million if they tried to hike prices and profiteer from the tax.
"We've ensured that there's strong enforcement here," she said.
Labor and the Greens yesterday heralded the passing of the carbon tax legislation, 36 votes to 32, as an historic milestone.
"Today's vote is a win for Australia's children," Ms Gillard said, while Bob Brown declared the moment a "green letter day".
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet - who watched the Senate vote from the public gallery - said the issue had been difficult for the Government.
"This has obviously been a very difficult issue to prosecute and yet it is such an extremely important environmental and economic reform," he said.
The Opposition tried to fight the Bill to the end in the Senate, despite Opposition Leader Tony Abbott leaving the country Monday night. He has promised to repeal the tax if elected.
One amendment - rejected in the final vote - tried to allow electricity companies to only pay for permits when they used them. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon said the rejection of the amendment could mean electricity prices rise an additional 10 per cent, because companies are forced to pay for permits years before they use them, and are expected to pass the premature costs on.
http://www.news.com.au/national/pm-warns-carbon-tax-profiteers/story-e6frfkvr-1226189531678#ixzz1dL1GaZe2