Following the unadulterated chaos of last week’s shock political backflip that saw the Palmer United Party withdraw its support for the repeal of the Carbon Tax at the very last minute, voting it down in the senate for a third time, it seems that time is all that stands between the Abbott Government and a much drawn-out successful removal of the controversial tax. The Clive Palmer-led bloc of PUP and small party senators that hold the balance of power in the Federal Senate will vote to remove the tax after an agreement was reached regarding the penalties that will be applied to businesses that do not pass on savings accrued by the repeal back to consumers.
The amendments to the bill were circulated through Parliament this afternoon, with the Lower House beginning to debate the new draft once again. The flip-flop occurred last week after the Government failed to provide clarification on exactly who the penalties would apply to. The Palmer Party amendments would place the penalties solely on the heads of the major polluters, rather than a broad range of smaller businesses as well.
In a fiery session of Parliament, opposition leader Bill Shorten finally found the angry streak he’s been lacking throughout this entire debacle, and spoke up – even if it may have been a case of closing and locking a gate that had held a long-gone horse.
Directly attacking Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Shorten stated that he was “no leader” and that “He is incapable of identifying the risks and costs of inaction.”
“He is sleepwalking his way into a major climate policy disaster, a disaster for the Australian economy and for our environment, a disaster that guarantees that forever Tony Abbott will be remembered as an environmental vandal.“
Labor’s environmental spokesman Mark Butler went further, claiming in true ‘Strayan fashion that the government “could not organise a pig to be dirty.”
The Carbon Tax repeal legislation is now expected to be passed by the Senate as early as Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, Pedestrian has obtained this exclusive image of Abbott and the senior Liberal cabinet engaging in normal Parliamentary activity.
Photo: Stefan Postles via Getty Images.
