Australian Competition and Consumer Commission prepares for a carbon tax blitz

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The Opposition react as Foreign Minister Rudd congratulates the PM on passing of carbon tax legislation.




See Sophie Mirabella’s expulsion from the lower house on Tuesday, which helped ease this morning’s vote on the carbon tax.



Gillard and Rudd

PM Julia Gillard hugs Kevin Rudd after the carbon tax bills passed in the House of Representatives. Picture: Ray Strange
Source: Herald Sun


Gillard and Russ embraced as carbon tax is passed

PM Julia Gillard hugs Kevin Rudd after the carbon tax bills passed in the House of Representatives. Picture: Ray Strange
Source: Herald Sun


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IT’S the tax she said we would never have and the public doesn’t want, but Julia Gillard was so elated over her carbon scheme win even her bitter fight with Kevin Rudd was forgotten as they embraced for a kiss.


As Labor, Green and independent MPs celebrated the tax passing through Parliament’s Lower House yesterday, the Herald Sun can reveal businesses have already been caught ripping consumers off with price gouges in its name.

The Prime Minister heralded the win as a historic moment in the fight against climate change.

But Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the nation had been betrayed “with a kiss” – and gave a “pledge in blood” to repeal the carbon tax if he became PM.

Meanwhile, the consumer watchdog is gearing up for a carbon tax blitz to protect consumers.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims revealed some taxi drivers had already been caught trying to add a “carbon levy” to fares, while a few companies were being probed for price rises that were “just silly”.

Mr Sims said the ACCC would launch a nationwide campaign and issue detailed guidelines showing what price rises would and would not be allowed.

“If anyone is putting up prices now, they’re way ahead of the game,” he told the Herald Sun.

“We’ve had a few potential cases of people saying things that are just silly, and reports of taxi drivers adding a ‘carbon levy’.

If people are making claims that price rises have been caused by the carbon tax, they must be able to substantiate them.”

The ACCC has been given $12.8 million to play the role of carbon cop and Mr Sims said it would make sure consumers were not ripped off by dodgy businesses wrongly blaming the carbon tax for price rises.

After 40 hours of debate and speeches by 125 of the 150 Lower House MPs, independents Rob Oakeshott, Andrew Wilkie and Tony Windsor and Green Adam Bandt voted with Labor to pass the 19 bills associated with the carbon tax.

It now needs final approval from the Senate next month, which has been guaranteed by the Greens, meaning it will begin on July 1 next year.

A jubilant Prime Minister Julia Gillard embraced and kissed many of her ministers after the legislation was passed by two votes.

“This is a significant day for the Australian nation, not only for Australians today but for the generations of children to come, who will live in a cleaner environment as a result of today’s legislation,” she said.

It will impose a tax starting at $23 a tonne on the 500 biggest polluters.

Electricity prices are tipped to rise by 10 per cent but overall living costs by just 0.7 per cent.

Households will receive tax cuts and welfare increases to compensate and the Government claims low-income families will be better off.

Ms Gillard said calls to delay the carbon tax would cost $5 billion and that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott would be “marooned by the tide of history”.

Mr Abbott said the PM would be haunted by breaking her election promise not to have a carbon tax.

“This Prime Minister shouldn’t just say sorry, she should resign,” he said.

“We have witnessed the unseemly spectacle of government ministers celebrating a betrayal. They celebrated their betrayal with a kiss.”

Mr Abbott stepped up his promise to repeal the tax, saying it was “a pledge in blood – this tax will go”.

Greens leader Bob Brown said: “This is a great big green day for Australia.”

About 85 mostly middle-aged anti-carbon tax protesters were thrown out of Parliament for repeatedly interrupting Ms Gillard during question time by chanting “no mandate, democracy is dead”.

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