According to federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, the carbon tax proposed by the federal government will hinder Australia’s ability to maintain its status as a first world economy.
After a tour of a bus manufacturing plant in Villawood, Mr. Abbott informed reporters in Sydney that he reiterated his assertion that the carbon tax would result in job losses.
“The implementation of a carbon tax would be yet another strain on businesses such as this one… enterprises already grappling with foreign competition,” he stated.
“An Australia unable to manufacture buses would cease to be a first economy, illustrating the grim reality we might encounter should the carbon tax be implemented.”
Mr. Abbott noted that the bus manufacturer, Custom Coaches, was facing an annual power expense of one million dollars, which would escalate by $200,000 annually if the tax were enacted.
In recent months, the Gillard administration has encountered severe backlash regarding the absence of specifics in its carbon tax proposal.
Additionally, Mr. Abbott highlighted that Queensland Premier Anna Bligh acknowledged the source of Australians’ apprehension regarding the tax.
“You can see why Premier Bligh opposes it, particularly when Treasurer Wayne Swan seems not to grasp it,” he remarked.
by John Jackson