Gillard: “I Have Always Been Determined To Create An *Emissions Trading Scheme*”

Three days ago, I wrote an article arguing by reference to the Government’s official documentation, that the Green-Labor-Independent Alliance is not proposing a “tax”, but an emissions trading scheme with a fixed price start –

“The Carbon Tax is Not A ‘Tax’ … It Is The Bankster’s CPRS By Another Name”.

Two days ago, prompted by a reader, I wrote a detailed email to the Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Mr Greg Hunt MP, arguing the same point –

“Letter To Greg Hunt MP”.

Yesterday, I engaged in multiple correspondences with Mr Hunt, continuing to present the same irrefutable point; that the Government’s proposed “pricing carbon” scheme is not a tax, but is, and always has been, planned and intended to be an emissions trading scheme with an initial and temporary “fixed price” period –

“Letter To Greg Hunt MP” – Updates 2, 3, 4, 5.

In one of these correspondences, Mr Hunt stated the following (emphasis added):

Thur 30/6, 10:30pm –

I respect your views but the Prime Minister herself has said that it operates like a tax.

As has the Treasurer.

Cheers,

greg

I will leave it to those interested to read my detailed critical response to Mr Hunt’s statement.

Remarkably however, just a few short hours later the following was being widely reported in the mainstream media (please note carefully my bold emphasis added):

By Malcolm Farr, National Political Editor | From: news.com.au | June 30, 2011 2:38PM

Prime Minister Julia Gillard today said the imposition of a fixed price on carbon pollution will last for the minimum possible of three years before being replaced by whatever the market decides.

The decision will be a bid to take the “tax” out of the Opposition’s highly effective “carbon tax” attacks as quickly as possible.

“What (Opposition Leader) Tony Abbott likes to refer to as a carbon tax, a fixed price period for an emissions trading scheme, is a period I believe should be as short  as possible,” Ms Gillard said in Darwin.

“I’ve always been determined to create an emissions trading scheme, and I’ve always been determined that the fixed price period would be as short as possible and we would get to that emissions trading scheme.”

She said her aim “has always been to have an emissions trading scheme“.

“That’s an aim I share with (former Liberal Prime Minister) John Howard and (current Liberal front bencher) Malcolm Turnbull – an emissions trading scheme for our nation’s future,” said the Prime Minister.

And then there was this, from the ABC (emphasis added):

Jeremy Thompson, On Thursday 30 June 2011, 16:55 EST

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she is determined to introduce an emissions trading scheme as soon as possible, amid reports the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee has agreed the transition from a carbon tax to an ETS will take three years.

It is understood the Government, Greens and independents agreed to transition from the carbon tax to an ETS in 2015 – at the early end of the stated aim of three to five years.

The Government wanted to go directly to an ETS, but the minority nature of the Parliament meant the Greens were able to insist on an initial fixed carbon tax.

“I’ve always been determined to create an emissions trading scheme and I’ve always been determined that the fixed-price period would be as short as possible and we would get to that emissions trading scheme,” Ms Gillard told reporters in Darwin.

She sought to change the nature of the rhetoric, rejecting the term “carbon tax” as a description used by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

I’m tempted to end this piece right now, with a triumphant “I rest my case”.

Sadly, there will doubtless be those who are to a greater or lesser degree incapable of critical thinking, who may dismiss Gillard’s remarks as not supporting my argument.

For one reason.

They no longer trust anything she says.

It is not necessary to believe that she is telling the truth now.

It is only necessary to critically examine the facts.

And the facts are these*.

The Rudd-Gillard government has always officially (ie, in written documentation) referred to their “carbon pricing” proposal as an “emissions trading scheme”.

Always.

Never as a “carbon tax“.

If those who oppose the introduction of a carbon “tax” wish to succeed in preventing it, they need to start using their brains.

It is better for everyone in the community to clearly understand that it IS an emissions trading scheme.

We should all encourage and applaud Gillard and Co in their new “bid to take the “tax” out of the Opposition’s highly effective “carbon tax” attacks”.

Why?

Because the people we need to convince are not those who already oppose the carbon “X”.

The people we need to convince – the people we need on our side against the carbon “X” – are the lefties, green cargo-culters, and others like them who go along with most every popular delusion, and are too thick to critically think for themselves.

Now believe it or not, those of us who understand the grave threat of a carbon “X” actually do share one very important thing in common with the lefties, et al.

We all – broadly speaking – HATE BANKERS.

It is vital for “righties” to understand, that “lefties” generally think that taxes aren’t such a bad thing – especially if the wise and compassionate, caring Big Government is going to “save the planet” by taxing “only” those big bad “polluters”.

But … if just once these poor deluded fools could glimpse the reality – that the governments plan is NOT a wise and benevolent Robin Hood “tax” as they imagine, but is in truth, nothing more than a grandiose scheme that is designed by, and for, the benefit of BANKERS – then we have a chance.

Then, there is hope that we can all become one.

“Leftard” and “Rightard” alike.

United in opposition  … to the banksters’ ETS.

So I say … Go for it JuLiar!

You’re on the right track now 😉

Tell it like it is.

Keep telling the world that it ‘aint no “tax”.

Keep telling us all that it is what you have “always been determined to create”.

“An emissions trading scheme for our nation’s future“

And We The People will drive home the patently obvious “bankster” connection in this grand scam for you.

________

* The Facts

References:

Garnaut Review 2011, Chapter 5 (emphasis added):

In implementing an emissions trading scheme with a fixed-price start, there are two sets of decisions to be made: the starting price and how much the price will rise in each subsequent year; and the timing, conditions and manner of transition to emissions trading with a price that is set by market exchange.

*******

Government’s climatechange.gov.au website (emphasis added):

Multi-Party Climate Change Committee

Broad architecture of the carbon price mechanism

A carbon price mechanism could commence with a fixed price (through the issuance of fixed price units within an emissions trading scheme) before converting to a cap-and-trade emissions trading scheme…

*******

Government’s climatechange.gov.au website (emphasis added):

Publications

CPRS White Paper:

Policy position 8.1

Each permit will have a unique identification number and will be marked with the first year in which it can validly be surrendered (its ‘vintage’). It will not have an expiry date.

…

8.4.1 Banking

Banking allows permits to be saved for use in future years. With unlimited banking, permits would not have an expiry date—once issued, they could be used for compliance at any future time.

… the advantages of banking are greatest if banking is continuous. For these reasons, the Government will allow unlimited banking from Scheme commencement.

Tags: banksters, carbon tax, climate change, cprs, ets, Goldman Sachs, greg hunt, julia gillard, malcolm turnbull