Tony Abbott interview with Ben Fordham, Radio 2GB - Julia...

Tony Abbott interview with Ben Fordham, Radio 2GB - Julia Gillard?s carbon tax
25/02/11
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BEN FORDHAM:

Tony Abbott, Opposition Leader, good afternoon to you.

TONY ABBOTT:

G?day, Ben.

BEN FORDHAM:

A big day in Canberra, we?ve had the flood levy go through the House of Reps but more importantly Julia Gillard says a carbon price, it?s coming our way.

TONY ABBOTT:

A carbon tax, Ben, that?s what it is. So, we had the flood tax pass the parliament this morning. She?s now promising a carbon tax on top of the mining tax that she?s also promised and this is a breach of faith of a very, very high order, given that repeatedly during the election campaign she put her hand on her heart and said ?there will be no carbon tax under any government I lead?. So, it?s a very serious broken promise and it?s going to slug people who are already suffering cost of living pressures for six; a $300 a year hit on your power bill, a 6.5 cents a litre hit on your petrol bill.

BEN FORDHAM:

Ok, this is what Julia Gillard said before the election last year. I?ve played it plenty of times today but it?s important to remember it.

JULIA GILLARD:

There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead.

BEN FORDHAM:

Ok, Julia Gillard is now saying that at least she is addressing the issue of climate change and you would rather keep your head in the sand.

TONY ABBOTT:

We took a policy to the election, Ben, which basically involves spending $1 billion a year planting more trees, improving soil, using better technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. So, our policy will spend the money and get the result without hitting consumers with a great big new tax which in its emissions trading scheme form was going to raise $16 billion every single year.

BEN FORDHAM:

Why do you think Julia Gillard made that statement just before the election?

TONY ABBOTT:

I think she was desperate. I think she knew she was in a lot of trouble. I think she was worried that if she didn?t rule out a carbon she?d lose the election. Now, having effectively lost the election but won the negotiations she immediately put the carbon tax back on the table to get the Greens to back her.

BEN FORDHAM:

So, she said it just to get in.

TONY ABBOTT:

That?s the only conclusion you can draw, I think, Ben. I mean, politicians should not rule out taxes before an election and rule them in after an election and the point I?m making is if we couldn?t trust her on this how can we ever trust her on anything? Because other than her promises to Kevin Rudd, this was just about the most sacred commitment she gave.

BEN FORDHAM:

In the press conference you held today you made it very clear, a strong declaration that you are going to fight this battle on every corner. You ran through a list of things which this is going to effect in terms of prices, in terms of daily, weekly costs. What are those things?

TONY ABBOTT:

Well, in the first instance it will hit your power bills. $300 a year is what the Industry Group has estimated this week. In New South Wales I think the estimates are more like $500 a year and that?s on top of the massive increases in power bills that we?ve already had, 42 per cent since 2007. So, every time you turn on the light you?ll get hit with this tax. Then of course it will hit petrol. Now, we?ve had a lot of petrol price increases lately but this will be a 6.5 cents a litre increase on top of what?s already happened so every time you go to the bowser you?ll be hit with this new tax. Now, one of the really weird things, Ben, is that we?ve got Premier Keneally running around saying ?I will bring electricity prices down? and now we?ve got Prime Minister Gillard putting in this policy that will take electricity prices massively up. So?

BEN FORDHAM:

Ok, in terms of your opposition to Julia Gillard?s announcement today, not everyone within your party is with you on this, are they?

TONY ABBOTT:

I think everyone is absolutely united in that we keep our election commitments unlike Prime Minister Gillard.

BEN FORDHAM:

Ok, but philosophically there are a few people in your party who have expressed to you that they don?t necessarily agree with your stance on this.

TONY ABBOTT:

That was then?

BEN FORDHAM:

This is now.

TONY ABBOTT:

Sure, in earlier times there were some in our party that wanted an emissions trading scheme but when circumstances change, we change our position. Copenhagen was a failure, other countries aren?t adopting a carbon tax or an ETS so this is our position and we?re united on it.

BEN FORDHAM:

When you?re saying, just briefly, when you?re saying every time you switch on a light, every time you put fuel in the car, fuel in the tank, in terms of pushing your message this is going to be like shooting fish in a bucket, isn?t it?

TONY ABBOTT:

Well, I?ll just keep doing my best, Ben, and we?ll see?

BEN FORDHAM:

How many times are we going to hear ?a great big new fat tax??

TONY ABBOTT:

Well, that?s what it is and I?m going to call it what it is, and?

BEN FORDHAM:

I know you will.

TONY ABBOTT:

?the weird thing, as I said, Ben, is how can Premier Kenneally on the one hand want to get prices down and on the other hand support this tax?

BEN FORDHAM:

Tony Abbott, we?ve got to run. Thank you for calling in.

TONY ABBOTT:

Thanks so much, Ben.