From: AAP March 22, 2011 8:46PM Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size Print Email Share
GREENS leader Bob Brown has denied his party forced the Gillard government to push for a carbon tax prior to the introduction of an emissions trading scheme.
The prime minister last week said she was compelled to introduce a carbon tax in mid-2012 due to the fact she was leading a minority government.
Julia Gillard didn't name the Greens but rather said the decision came out of the multi-party committee on climate change.
The only non-Labor or Greens members of that committee - independents Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor - have spoken out against an interim tax.
But Senator Brown said today he didn't force a carbon tax on Ms Gillard.
"I've been into no committee meetings with a thumbscrew I can tell you," Senator Brown told ABC TV.
Asked point blank if the Greens forced the PM to adopt a carbon tax, he said: "No."
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Related Coverage Coalition to 'unwind' tax cuts The Australian, 1 day ago Tax cut details won't be in May budget The Australian, 1 day ago Greens rail at 'gift' to polluters The Australian, 3 days ago Brown defends small business The Australian, 7 Mar 2011 Bob Brown agrees with Rio Tinto on tax Herald Sun, 7 Mar 2011 End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
The current framework for a tax followed by a floating price in mid-2015 at the earliest came out of "mature discussion" within the multi-party climate change committee, Senator Brown said.
Moreover, he argued the question of who forced who to do what wasn't that important.
"Is this the issue," Senator Brown said.
"It is for you but for us it's getting this great country of ours into an economically responsible trajectory."
The Greens leader released new polling tonight which suggests nearly 60 per cent of Australians think it's a good idea to tax big polluters.
The Galaxy poll, commissioned by the Greens, asked people whether the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was to tax big polluters or pay them to reduce emissions.
Some 58 per cent said tax the polluters.
Seventeen per cent said pay the polluters while 25 per cent didn't know what to do.
"People by more than three to one in Australia say the polluters should pay," Senator Brown said.
"In other words Tony Abbott is on a loser."
Galaxy's telephone poll of 1000 people was conducted last weekend.
