Rudd’s billion dollar climate tax plan to isolate Australia
17th December, 2009
In his latest half-baked plan to combat climate change, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s defence of Australia’s “national interest” now apparently involves backing a $160 billion Ethiopian plan to tax our economic lifelines - aviation and shipping.“Kevin Rudd, who spends more time in an aeroplane than just about any other Australian, should know we live on an island and rely on aviation and shipping to go anywhere else or get our product to the world,” said the Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Trade and Transport Minister, Warren Truss.
“Supporting such a devastating tax on international aviation and shipping, and also possibly a global financial tax, will leave this country isolated and significantly disadvantaged. It will be more expensive to get things in, and more expensive to get our products out.
“Mr Rudd must immediately walk away from this mad plan put forward by Ethiopia. It’s little wonder African and European countries support this plan – much of their trade is by moved by road across land borders.
“Australia is already at a freight disadvantage because of our distance from the rest of the world, and this plan will only make things worse. The flying public can get ready for big increases in airfares too.
“Now that the Rudd Government’s tax on everything in Australia - the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme - has failed, now he seems to be courting a tax on everything coming in and out.
“Australia should be very wary of giving a right to an international organisation to tax Australians undertaking their daily work. Mr Rudd should reject the concept of international taxation outright.
“Taxpayers have a right to know where and how much of their money is going. Based on past performance, a United Nations body cannot be trusted with collecting and distributing the vast amount of funds involved.
“The Rudd Labor Government’s involvement in the Copenhagen climate change talks is rapidly becoming farce. While strutting the world stage, the Prime Minister must not be beguiled into selling out Australia’s national interest,” Mr Truss said.
