Like a hibernating turtle, the federal government’s plan for a carbon tax seems to rear its head every few years.
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Talk of introducing a type of carbon tax has again made headlines after Environment and Energy MInister Josh Frydenberg confirmed that the Coalition will consider a form of carbon pricing for power companies as part of its review of the country’s climate policies.
To call it a carbon tax isn’t quite accurate. In the review, the federal government describes its emissions intensity scheme as one that sets a baseline for how much CO2 a power station can emit for every unit of power generated.
There are then penalties for those power stations that breach their limit, while rewarding cleaner models that emit less.
Based on this, Hydro Tasmania’s hydro scheme should be a huge winner.
The government’s plan, however, wasn’t met with a ringing endorsement from all members of Malcolm Turnbull’s Coalition, with a number of MPs talking of dissenting against the move.
It’s worth remembering that while in opposition, Mr Turnbull crossed the floor of parliament to vote in support of Labor's emissions trading scheme under the leadership of Kevin Rudd. It was a move that ultimately would cost Mr Turnbull the leadership of the Coalition by a single vote to Tony Abbott in a spill.
No one needs reminding of the chequered past other political leaders have had trying to bring in any form of carbon pricing in Australia.
Then Prime Minister and Labor Leader Julia Gillard was forced to backflip on a carbon tax after promising to never bring in a carbon tax.
Ms Gillard’s plan was for a three to five-year carbon tax, which would then later become a fully blown emissions trading scheme.
So unpopular was her plan that it led to her unceremoniously being dumped at the following election by Tony Abbott’s Liberals, which was followed by the ultimate scrapping of the tax.
The harsh reality is, however, all Western countries need to find ways to reduce their carbon emissions as global warming impacts more and more on our society and our planet. The move to cleaner, renewable energy is growing momentum, but there is no doubt it is slower than expected – and very expensive.
