Australian parliament passes carbon tax

Australia's lower house of parliament passed a contentious new tax on carbon pollution to combat climate change on Wednesday, culminating years of heated debate. 

Australia's lower house of parliament passed a contentious new tax on carbon pollution to combat climate change on Wednesday, culminating years of heated debate. 

The deeply divisive levy will mean the nation's biggest producers of carbon emissions will be forced to pay to pollute from July 1, 2012 -- initially at a fixed price before moving to a market-based trading scheme.

Government ministers embraced and clapped after the vote -- which must now go to the upper house Senate for final approval -- with Prime Minister Julia Gillard kissing the man she ousted to become leader, Kevin Rudd, in the celebrations.

"Today is a significant day for Australians and the Australians of the future who want to see a better environment," Gillard said ahead of the vote.

Australia, one of the world's worst per capita polluters and a major exporter of coal, has long grappled with how to combat climate change and previous bills to introduce emissions trading schemes have been defeated.

While Gillard managed to get her Clean Energy Bill 2011 through parliament 74 votes to 72, it is bitterly opposed by the conservative opposition which argues it will be ineffective, cut jobs and increase the cost of living.

The row over climate change has brought down former prime minister Rudd and two leaders of the opposition in the last two years and made Gillard extremely unpopular with voters.

Thousands have protested at rallies nationwide against the levy, accusing Gillard of lying when she said ahead of her narrow August 2010 election win there would be no carbon tax under a government she led.

The prime minister defended the government's campaign in favour of its carbon tax, which opinion polls show is opposed by a majority of voters.

"When there is a significant change like this one, we have to keep explaining it," she said.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott pledged to repeal the tax if elected.

"I am giving you the most definite commitment any politician can give that this tax will go," he told state broadcaster ABC.

"This is a pledge in blood. This tax will go."

But environmental groups welcomed the approval of the tax, which they hope will help secure the future of national treasures such as the Great Barrier Reef and encourage greater global action on climate change.

"Today our MPs have voted 'yes' to creating a stronger economy, 'yes' to new jobs in clean industries and 'yes' to giving our wildlife a fighting chance," WWF-Australia chief executive Dermot O'Gorman said.

Source : AFP