Liberal Treasury and Environment spokesmen will shine a spotlight on the impact of Labor’s carbon tax during two days of briefings and site visits in Adelaide and Mount Gambier.
Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham will visit numerous affected businesses and meet with business leaders and concerned members of the public Wednesday and Thursday this week.
“Visiting Adelaide Brighton Cement at Birkenhead and Penrice Soda at Osborne, who both face multi-million dollar bills under the carbon tax, will allow us to witness first-hand the impact of this toxic tax,” Senator Cormann said.
“Businesses such as Adelaide Brighton and Penrice are vital employers and an important part of the fabric of South Australia’s economy.
“Already Adelaide Brighton has revised profit forecasts and warned that the carbon tax may force it to move some production overseas, where there is no carbon tax.
“I call on South Australia’s Labor representatives to be South Australia’s voice in Canberra not Canberra’s voice in South Australia.
“The Labor-Green carbon tax will push up the cost of everything, it will make us less competitive internationally, cost jobs, hurt small and medium sized business and all that without doing anything to help reduce global emissions,” Senator Cormann said.
Senator Birmingham emphasised that it is not just businesses in Adelaide affected, nor those who directly pay a carbon tax bill.
“We will also visit a number of transport companies in the South East to discuss the flow through cost impacts on the essential goods we all consume and primary products our industries need,” Senator Birmingham said.
“The simple fact remains that Julia Gillard promised no carbon tax because she knew Australians did not want a carbon tax that, as a result of higher electricity, gas and transport prices, will push up the price of all goods and services.
“That was a promise supported by every single Labor Member and Senator across South Australia.
“Neither the Gillard Labor Government nor local Labor MPs can now be trusted with anything they say about the impact of their carbon tax on the cost of living, small business and jobs,” Senator Birmingham said.