Bowen All Over The Shop On Carbon Tax

http://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2013/07/15/bowen-all-over-shop-carbon-tax

Bowen All Over The Shop On Carbon Tax

15/07/13

Labor and their Treasurer Chris Bowen are all over the shop on the carbon tax.

Three weeks ago the Treasurer voted to increase the carbon tax to $24.15. Now he is arguing that Australia move to a floating carbon tax because of the damage being done to business and households by the Labor carbon tax he voted for.

If ever we wanted proof that the B team is in charge of Australia, it is the fact that the Treasurer does not even understand his own proposed changes.  

Take the Treasurer’s interview with David Speers on Sky News this morning.

Strike 1: Bowen’s con-job on cost of living

Chris Bowen argued that shifting from a fixed price to a floating price will alleviate cost of living pressures for Australian families.

“We think this is the appropriate thing to do in the face of cost of living pressures faced by Australian people.”

(Source: Chris Bowen, Sky News, 15 July 2013)

The Coalition’s plan to abolish the carbon tax will provide even further assistance to households feeling the pain of Labor’s carbon tax every time they open their electricity bills.

Strike 2: Bowen’s con-job on industry

Chris Bowen argued that shifting from a fixed price to a floating price will spur investment in industry.

“This is an economic measure to spur investment in industries - in manufacturing and services. This will be of benefit for industry generally. I think you have seen this in some of the responses so far."

(Source: Chris Bowen, Sky News, 15 July 2013)

Chris Bowen thinks that lowering the carbon tax “is an economic measure to spur investment in industries - in manufacturing and services”. The Coalition’s plan to abolish the tax provides even further assistance to industry suffering cost increases due to the carbon tax.  

Strike 3: Bowen not across the detail.

The new Treasurer, in the same interview, even tried to claim families would benefit ‘this year’ from the changes. Obviously he had not read the memo that the changes would only come into effect on 1 July 2014 – and the carbon tax would remain at $24.15 up until then.  The Treasurer only corrected his mistake when prompted by the interviewer.

BOWEN:

If you look at the impact for people – say a family one income, with an 8 year old and a 3 year old, average spending patterns, You are looking at an improvement of about $380 this year in assistance for cost of living. That is worth doing.”

SPEERS:

Not this year, the following year?

BOWEN:

Yes, that’s right, the year that is following, when the changes take effect.

(Source: Chris Bowen, Sky, 15 July 2013)

This is a confused and chaotic Treasurer who is a part of a confused and chaotic Government.

Australians deserve better. The best way to help cost of living pressures is to abolish the carbon tax, not dress it up it under another name.

A vote for a Coalition Government is a vote for abolishing the carbon tax – and in the Treasurer’s words this morning “would spur investment in industries” and “alleviate cost of living pressures” on Australian families.