If only that were true we might be going forwards instead of backwards..
Right now, the federal government spends around $10 billion a year as handouts – in the form of subsidies, cash, tax breaks and infrastructure - to big polluters.
http://paidtopollute.org.au/ptp-fossil-fuel-subsidies
Federal energy policies continue to support the coal mining and natural gas industries through subsidies for fossil fuel use and production.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_policy_of_Australia
Highlighted below are four of the largest fossil fuel subsidies that should be targeted for removal in the 2014-15 Federal Budget. Cutting just these Big 4 subsidies would deliver budget savings of around $10 billion per year, while cutting other smaller federal subsidies could deliver a further $1 billion annually. Other fossil fuel subsidies also exist at the state level.
http://environmentvictoria.org.au/fossilfuelsubsidies#.VERX_Ba0QcE
