Australians should brace for a higher carbon tax and higher electricity prices following comments from Greens Leader Christine Milne, Acting Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage Simon Birmingham said today.
Senator Milne yesterday flagged a significantly higher carbon tax in the near future following the Government’s announcement of European linkage with the carbon tax:
“It’s clear when you talk to analysts about where the European price is going to be by 2015, they are all saying that it could in fact be well ahead of where the Australian Treasury modelling is in terms of a higher price. There are some saying that you could have a European price as high as $50 for example. So let’s see where the European price is going to be but I am confident that they will take measures to drive up the price in Europe in order to secure their investment pipeline.”
Christine Milne, press conference, 28 August 2012
Of course, these comments are just the latest in a history of the Greens calling for a higher carbon tax:
“If we want to transition right through to renewable it’s going to have to be in the vicinity of you know, $100 a tonne.”
Sarah Hanson-Young, Herald Sun, 18 May 2011
“… even at $40 it is not a high enough price to bring on renewable energy at large scale, like solar thermal for example. I certainly recognise that you are going to need a price at $40 or more to shift from coal to gas. And then a higher price still from gas to the renewables…”
Christine Milne, AM, ABC Radio, 17 May 2011
“Australians concerned at already significant rises in electricity prices should be truly concerned at the Greens’ continuing thirst for even higher taxes and costs which Labor are only too happy to accommodate,” Senator Birmingham said.