The Labor-Greens carbon tax is already putting pressure on Australian jobs and industry, including those in South Australia, said Senator Cory Bernardi and Senator Simon Birmingham today.
Adelaide Brighton Ltd has indicated that it will need to evaluate its local production methods in light of the estimated impacts of the carbon tax.
“The Coalition has repeatedly warned that a carbon tax is going to put Australian industries and jobs at risk and would result in carbon leakage. It has taken less than 24 hours for those warnings to ring true,” said Senator Bernardi.
“Adelaide Brighton employs 1,300 people nationally hundreds of which are based in South Australia, at Birkenhead and Angaston. Will these be among the first casualties of the Labor Green carbon tax?
“Julia Gillard and Bob Brown seem more intent on exporting Australian jobs than supporting Australia’s economic future.”
“It’s week one of the carbon tax and already businesses are facing tough decisions about their viability as producers in Australia,” said Senator Birmingham.
“The carbon tax discriminates against local companies by taxing production in Australia while imports compete tax free.
“It is a sad day when proud South Australian companies like Adelaide Brighton start talking about substituting local production for imports because of government policies.
“Australian jobs are on the line and, sadly, the Labor-Greens Government is keen to export them.”