By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
THE CARBON tax is “causing damage” in Geelong, “perhaps the most carbon-intensive city in the country”, Liberal MP Sarah Henderson has told federal parliament.
“We are a home of many trade-exposed companies, such as Ford, Boral, Shell and Alcoa, and are a region extremely dependent on agriculture and manufacturing.
“In our region thousands of jobs have been lost or are under threat. The carbon tax is a cost of doing business and it is hampering our region’s capacity to thrive and to prosper.
“Consider what it is doing to our farmers, food processors and timber mills. The carbon tax is costing every dairy farmer on average $7500 a year.”
Ms Henderson said Labor’s attempts to make amendments to introduce an emissions trading scheme were “an exercise in rebadging”.
“This is a tax on jobs and on electricity. This is a tax on Geelong and a tax on the people of Corangamite.”
Labor Member for Corio Richard Marles said the Liberals had proposed reducing emissions through “costly” direct action.
“The vast majority of economists see this as costing our economy much more than an emissions trading scheme.
“This is why the Liberals are not telling us how much direct action is going to cost. It will hurt Geelong businesses and households and not help the Geelong environment.”
Mr Marles said Labor had always supported emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries.
“Geelong is also exposed to changes in climate and this has enormous potential to damage our economy.”
