JOURNALIST: First of all, what are your thoughts on the Australian Energy Market Commission report that says electricity prices will rise between 20 to 40 per cent by 2013? SIMON BIRMINGHAM: It’s a 30 per cent rise in electricity prices that Australians are facing and that’s without a carbon tax, so Australians really will be…
JOHN BARRON: The Federal Government continued its drive to sell the carbon tax yesterday with Treasurer Wayne Swan releasing Treasury modelling to support his claim that the tax would have no significant impact on jobs or economic growth. The Government is hoping to finalise negotiations on the tax this month and make details of its plan…
DAVID SPEERS: So does this report undermine the Coalition’s argument that a carbon tax would unfairly punish Australian exporters? I’m joined now from Adelaide by the Acting Shadow Climate Change Minister [Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment], Senator Simon Birmingham. Senator, thanks for joining us. The Productivity Commission looked at more than a thousand different measures in…
KIERAN GILBERT: Let’s go to our panel now and joining me from Adelaide we have the Liberal frontbencher Senator Simon Birmingham and in Sydney we have the Member for Moreton, Labor MP Graham Perrett. Gentlemen, good morning to you both. Senator Birmingham, first, what’s the Coalition’s response to this? Do you welcome this suspension of all live…
MICHAEL SMITH: In the scheme of the Rudd and Gillard Governments, not huge money but it’s $8 million to develop the sort of panels, the solar panels, that go on your roof and generate electricity. That $8 million, or a large part of it $5 million came from your taxes through AusIndustry with…
GRANT GOLDMAN: Climate Change Minister Greg Combet says the review from Labor climate change advisor Ross Garnaut is not the sole factor in deciding the price on carbon and its related handouts. You get the feeling that they’re not quite happy with him right now. Professor Garnaut released his final update to the 2008 Climate…
KERRI-ANNE KENNERLEY: …on to other stories this morning and, I tell you, one of them has got to be that advertisement supporting the push for a carbon tax and it stars Cate Blanchett, Michael Caton… wow, what a backlash! Let’s have a look at the clip that’s stirring. MICHAEL CATON: What if we say…
ASHLEIGH GILLON: Joining me this afternoon on our panel of politicians, Labor MP Ed Husic and the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Simon Birmingham. Good afternoon to you both. Bob Brown has just held a news conference. We were hoping to bring it to you here on Sky News but had some audio issues with that. We’ll…
LEON BYNER: Now that New Zealand has agreed to allow fresh pork meat into their country, that will set a precedent that an applicant who wants to bring the same pork into Australia would use against us at the World Trade Organisation. Now, Joe Ludwig [Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry] has scoffed at suggestions that…
LEON BYNER: . . . because of a likely New Zealand decision to accept pork from countries that might have the PRRS [porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome] disease, which is the equivalent of HIV in humans, we will be obliged to accept, no questions asked, this product, and we don’t even have labelling laws to…