A senior Rudd Government minister has today confirmed the carbon tax is here to stay under Labor, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today. Contrary to suggestions that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his new Minister for Climate Change, Mark Butler, are considering abandoning their carbon tax, Labor’s third most…
Today’s announcement that Victoria has signed up to the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) on implementing the Murray-Darling Basin Plan leaves many questions unanswered, Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. “While any progress on strategic implementation of the Basin Plan is welcome, the signing of just one state in a piecemeal step risks the…
The high costs of environmental regulation and of Labor’s rejection of potential savings through streamlining have been highlighted in Senate Estimates hearings, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today. Under questioning from Senator Birmingham, officials at the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities have detailed that:…
Murray-Darling Basin reform has slowed to a snail’s pace under Labor, according to evidence given in Senate Estimates today under questioning from Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham. Officials have today confirmed that the Gillard Government: · still hasn’t signed off on an Intergovernmental Agreement with Basin states, despite more than 25 drafts having…
Labor’s chaotic budget fails to provide for the transport needed to maintain Australia’s Antarctic program, officials have confirmed in Senate Budget Estimates hearings. Under questioning from Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham, officials in the Australian Antarctic Division of the Environment department confirmed that: They will need a new ship by…
The enormous cost of Labor’s green waste now includes empty desks with a million dollar price tag and many millions of dollars in bad debts, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today. Department officials have revealed through Senate Estimates hearings the gross underutilisation of hugely costly office space, while further…
The Government’s own senior Climate officials have today confirmed that revenue projections for carbon permits contained in this year’s budget are double and triple what the market is predicting. The consequence is that there is $6 billion in phantom revenue and therefore a $6 billion budget black hole in a document that is…
Federal and State Labor are both treating taxpayers with contempt by refusing to release information surrounding decisions to fund the Adelaide Desalination Plant, the Coalition’s Murray-Darling Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. It follows this month’s damning report of the Commonwealth Auditor-General* into $328 million in federal funding for the Desal Plant, including…
Federal Labor Government decisions to fund the Adelaide Desalination Plant have been slammed in a damning report by the Commonwealth Auditor-General. The Audit Report into $328 million of Commonwealth funding follows an October 2012 written request from the Coalition’s Murray-Darling Basin spokesman, Senator Simon Birmingham. “The Auditor-General has found that proper grants…
Rising business costs, which are being exacerbated by factors such as the carbon tax and excessive regulation, have delivered a third major blow to the Whyalla region today. Arafura Resources’ announcement that they will not proceed with a $1 billion mineral processing plant at Whyalla citing increasing business costs, including transport costs…