Nationals Senator Fiona Nash has challenged the Labor members on the NSW North Coast to a debate on the carbon tax, marking the one year anniversary since the Prime Minister pledged a carbon tax would never happen.
It was a year ago today when Prime Minister Gillard said there would be no carbon tax under the government she’d lead and repeated that pledge on at least 12 occasions.
“She’s since gone back on her word and has set out to whack this tax on Australians from 1 July next year. North Coast Labor MPs, Justine Elliot, and Janelle Saffin, have dutifully welcomed the tax despite the ramifications it will have on families, businesses and industry in their electorates,” Senator Nash said.
Senator Nash, who’s the Nationals Duty Senator for the North Coast, said Ms Elliot and Ms Saffin’s duty should be to their electorates of Richmond and Page respectfully, not the Labor government.
“The very least they can do is explain why they support this tax to the people who elected them. A town hall style debate in their electorates is a good start,” she said.
“They need to explain why they think a tax, which will add more pressure to everyday living costs, is a good thing. Higher food prices are just one of many cost increases that Labor’s carbon tax will impose on households. Its own figures show that households get slugged $515 a year in their cost of living.”
Senator Nash said the carbon tax will have impacts right across the supply chain, from farming to food processing, transport to storage, refrigeration to lighting.
“According to the Australian Farm Institute estimates, energy costs for NSW farmers will be $7691 higher under a carbon tax. The North Coast’s dairy farmers face a $7000 hike in energy costs,” she said.
“Tourism will also be impacted because a carbon tax will apply to aviation fuel. Regional airlines have already indicated they may need to cut routes or pass on the cost to passengers through higher airfares.
“Households and small business will still be hit by higher fuel prices because petrol stations use electricity, as do refineries, which will inevitably be passed on at the petrol pump.
“That’s just for starters. Justine Elliot and Janelle Saffin should take the opportunity to debate me, it’s the least the people of the north coast deserve. I have written to them to propose a debate on the carbon tax and await their response.”
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