Media release - 16 October
2013 - The Government has today released
its Terms of Reference for the Emissions
Reduction Fund as part of its Direct Action
Plan.
The Government is urging business and community
groups and organisations to make submissions
in response to the Terms of Reference.
The Government yesterday
released draft legislation to abolish the
Carbon Tax because it hurts jobs, drives
up cost of living and domestic emissions
continue to rise. There is a better way.
The ERF will provide
incentives for companies to reduce their
emissions to achieve a five per cent reduction
in emissions by 2020. It will be a market
mechanism designed to simply and efficiently
source the lowest cost abatement.
Unlike the Carbon Tax,
the ERF will actually reduce our domestic
emissions by five per cent by 2020.
And unlike the Labor's
$9 billion a year Carbon Tax, the costs
of the ERF will be capped at $300 million
(2014-15), $500 million (2015-16) and $1000
million (2016-17) over the forward estimates.
The message for Labor
is clear, will they allow repeal of the
Carbon Tax to pave to way for a climate
policy that will achieve our targets or
will they continue to support higher power
prices.
Submissions in response
to the Terms of Reference will be considered
in development of a Green Paper. This will
be released in December 2013.
A White Paper outlining
the final design of the Emissions Reduction
Fund will be released early 2014.
The Emissions Reduction
Fund is to take effect from 1 July 2014.
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LEGISLATION TO REPEAL
THE CARBON TAX
Tuesday, 15 October
2013
Prime Minister
Minister for the Environment
Today, the Government releases the carbon
tax repeal bills for public consideration.
In line with our clear
election commitment, the Government’s first
item of parliamentary business will be the
legislation to abolish the carbon tax.
This will lower costs
for Australian businesses and manufacturers,
boost growth, increase jobs and ease cost
of living pressures for households.
On average, households
will be around $550 better off in 2014-15
than they would have been with the carbon
tax in place. This is about taking the pressure
off electricity and gas bills.
While the carbon tax
will be gone, the household assistance already
provided will remain to help families with
the cost of living.
Mr Shorten and the Labor
Party must listen to the clear message that
the Australian people sent at the last election.
Every day the Labor
Party opposes the repeal of the carbon tax
is another day that the Labor Party supports
higher electricity prices for Australian
families and businesses.
The repeal bills will
remove the carbon tax, end the carbon tax
on fuels used in shipping, rail and air
transport and on synthetic greenhouse gases.
The Climate Change Authority will also be
abolished.
Abolishing the carbon
tax will improve Australia’s international
competitiveness, which was being undermined
by the unfair hit on business.
The legislation will
give the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission further powers to take action
against businesses that engage in price
exploitation following the repeal of the
carbon tax.
Carbon tax industry
assistance, including the Jobs and Competitiveness
Program, will continue until 30 June 2014
to assist affected businesses.
Repeal of the carbon
tax represents a major contribution to the
Government’s deregulation agenda by removing
around 440 pages of legislation and reducing
business compliance costs by about $100
million annually.
With the release of
the draft repeal bills, businesses have
an opportunity to comment on the specific
details of the repeal process. Good governments
engage in proper consultation, which means
that the draft legislation could be further
refined before introduction to the Parliament.
Public consultation
will be invited until 4 November 2013.
