Power companies warn Abbott on carbon



Quote:

Power companies are demanding the federal opposition rethink its “direct action’’ plan for reducing carbon emissions, warning that its company baseline approach could be more difficult to operate than Labor’s trading scheme. The Energy Supply Association of Australia said falling demand for power meant the Coalition must review its energy and climate change policy if it gains power at the September 14 federal election. The warning comes amid growing support by multinational companies and major business groups for a market-based scheme, such as an emissions trading scheme, linked to the currently low prices set in European and other international markets. ESSA, which represents big power companies such as Origin, TRUenergy and International Power, has long supported an emissions trading scheme. “What we are seeing is the conditions in the market moving so quickly that there is a need to rethink the rules with a view to resetting or rethinking Direct Action,” ESAA chief executive Matthew Warren told The Australian Financial Review on Tuesday. But the Coalition is refusing to budge. The opposition’s spokesman on ­climate action, Greg Hunt, said on Tuesday that it was committed to dumping the carbon tax. “We remain completely committed to the policy as it removes a costly tax on business,” he said. “We have made it clear that setting of baselines is a matter for the white paper and we are encouraging organisations to make submissions at that time, if we are elected.” Companies don’t want to take sides Business groups and companies are reluctant to talk publicly about the ­Coalition’s plan because they don’t want to be seen to take sides this close to the election. Privately, however, they worry it will be expensive, complex and will put the cost on taxpayers. And manufacturing and resource company executives say they have postponed making long-term investment decisions, in part because of the uncertainty over the carbon price under a Coalition government . ESAA’s Mr Warren said his members, who pay the bulk of Labor’s carbon tax, also had concerns about the opposition’s Direct Action policy. The opposition has pledged a white paper after the federal election to consult on the details of Direct Action, which includes a budget fund to pay companies to reduce carbon emissions via a “reverse auction” process. It is also likely to consider cutting the 20 per cent Renewable Energy Target if electricity demand remains weak. Mr Warren said it would be challenging to design an effective baseline and credit scheme, as envisaged by Direct Action, to enable companies to be paid by government if they reduced their emissions below their baseline. This included setting the baseline for individuals companies. “The Coalition will have a white paper process if elected and that is absolutely necessary if they are going to repeal the Clean Energy Future legislation,” Mr Warren said. European price of carbon collapsed “We have concerns on specific aspects of Direct Action and we have advised them on these challenges and concerns and they should be folded into the white paper process. Some elements may stand up to scrutiny, others may not. “We are not saying ‘scrap Direct Action’, just that it needs to be considered in the context of the rapidly changing energy market,” Mr Warren said. Labor’s $23 a tonne carbon tax is scheduled to rise to $25 by 2015-16 when it is supposed to morph into an emissions trading scheme linked to the European trading scheme. Last week, the European price of carbon collapsed and is now trading at $3.75, prompting business groups to call for an immediate move to an ETS. But Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has rejected abolishing the three-year fixed price of carbon and moving directly to emissions trading. “It became absolutely obvious after the Copenhagen conference that the rest of the world was not going anywhere near carbon taxes or emission trading schemes . . .” Mr Abbott said in January. “As long as a carbon tax or an emissions trading scheme damages our economy, without reducing emissions because it’s not being copied anywhere else, we would be crazy to go down that path.”

Indonesia raps Abbott over tow-back policy



Quote:

A senior member of the Indonesian government has suggested that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's policy to turn back asylum seekers boats may harm Australia's relationship with Indonesia. The opposition has long held the position that it would turn back boats with the help of the Australian Navy, where it is ''safe to do so''. At the weekend, Mr Abbott said that most of the asylum-seeker vessels arriving in Australian waters were crewed by Indonesians. Advertisement ''If a boat gets turned around outside of Indonesia's waters, and then turns up again at the Indonesian port from which it had come, that surely is just simply a matter of course,'' Mr Abbott said. On Monday, Mahfudz Siddiq, the head of Indonesia's parliamentary commission for foreign affairs, said that Mr Abbott's comments demonstrated that the Opposition Leader ''doesn't understand the problem''. ''This kind of opinion disrespects the talks we have already had which have been very productive. With wrong perception, even Indonesia could pull out from these co-operative agreements regarding people smuggling,'' he told AAP. ''I'm not saying that Australia is not troubled and burdened by people smuggling cases, but then Indonesia is suffering the same thing. Indonesia is not their [asylum seekers] destination.'' On Tuesday, Trade Minister Craig Emerson warned the Coalition's asylum seeker tow-back policy would harm Australia's relationship with Indonesia. Dr Emerson has just returned from a Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Indonesia where Indonesian government representatives raised concerns with him during private discussions about Mr Abbott's turnback policy. ''We've got Mr Abbott with three-word slogans and an approach that would be very poorly received by the government of Indonesia,'' Dr Emerson told Sky News. On Tuesday, Mr Abbott told reporters in Geraldton that boats could be turned around in the future. He said that turning boats around during the Howard government years had been compatible with a strong relationship with Indonesia. "We can do what we need to do and the Indonesians will be happy to cooperate with an Australian government," he said. Earlier this month, an Indonesian police official told Fairfax Media that the Opposition's tow-back policy would ''disadvantage'' Indonesia. ''Absolutely it's a disadvantage for us. [Our actions] are not only about protecting our country's interests but we're also protecting Australia's interests,'' senior commissioner Parsaoran Damanik, of Banten Police in West Java said. Last year, an Indonesian immigration department spokesman said the country's immigration detention centres were full to overflowing and could not fit the extra detainees that Mr Abbott's policy to turn the boats back would generate. Mr Abbott has previously said he would make Jakarta his first port of call if he won office in September. He claims the Australia-Indonesia relationship has been ''trashed'' under the Gillard government. 'Illegal' boats campaign re-launched A Liberal Party billboard in Perth tallying the number of ''illegal'' asylum seeker boat arrivals under the Gillard government has been vandalised. The billboard, the centrepiece of a Tony Abbott publicity stunt on Monday, originally showed the number of boats as 641. By Tuesday, that figure had been blanked out and replaced with a zero.''No crime to seek asylum,'' was twice daubed beneath. In Geraldton on Tuesday, Mr Abbott responded by saying: ''You can vandalise a billboard but you can't change the facts.'' On Monday, the Opposition Leader re-launched the Coalition's famed ''illegal boats'' billboards – used during the last election campaign – in Perth, saying a Coalition government would ''stop the boats''. The billboards read: ''How many illegal boats have arrived since Labor took over? 639 illegal boats. Labor has lost control of Australia's borders''. Reactions were swift, with a petition launched calling on Mr Abbott to apologise for his use of the word ''illegal'' and refugee advocates accusing the opposition of fear-mongering. Mr Abbott's office referred to Article 31 of the UN Convention to defend the opposition's continued use of the word ''illegal''. The article states: ''the Contracting States shall not impose penalties, on account of their illegal entry or presence, on refugees who, coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened . . . enter or are present in their territory without authorisation''. A UNHCR spokesman said he could not comment on domestic politics, but said: ''the term 'illegal' is not one that UNHCR uses, or encourages the use of, in relation to refugees or asylum seekers.'' http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/indonesia-raps-abbott-over-towback-policy-20130423-2ibqp.html#ixzz2RLTU8WgD

These guys are getting a fat cheque from Gillard so of course they are going to kick up a stink

The Direct Action Plan is about trying to avoid Kyoto penalties in the future

Makka wrote on Apr 24^th, 2013 at 12:50pm:

These guys are getting a fat cheque from Gillard so of course they are going to kick up a stink The Direct Action Plan is about trying to avoid Kyoto penalties in the future

I thought they were going broke & putting prices up to cover the 'TAX" forcing people like Cods to freeze???

At least that was the line up until this article appeared, now apparently they are not being taxed out of existence but being given a wade of cash from the Government.

Isn't that DA?
Isn't that what Tony has said he'd do???


;D ;D

Dsmithy70 wrote on Apr 24^th, 2013 at 12:56pm:

Makka wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:50pm: These guys are getting a fat cheque from Gillard so of course they are going to kick up a stink The Direct Action Plan is about trying to avoid Kyoto penalties in the future I thought they were going broke & putting prices up to cover the 'TAX" forcing people like Cods to freeze??? At least that was the line up until this article appeared, now apparently they are not being taxed out of existence but being given a wade of cash from the Government. Isn't that DA? Isn't that what Tony has said he'd do??? ;D ;D

That's Labor's carbon tax for you

Makka wrote on Apr 24^th, 2013 at 12:59pm:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:56pm: Makka wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:50pm: These guys are getting a fat cheque from Gillard so of course they are going to kick up a stink The Direct Action Plan is about trying to avoid Kyoto penalties in the future I thought they were going broke & putting prices up to cover the 'TAX" forcing people like Cods to freeze??? At least that was the line up until this article appeared, now apparently they are not being taxed out of existence but being given a wade of cash from the Government. Isn't that DA? Isn't that what Tony has said he'd do??? ;D ;D That's Labor's carbon tax for you

What?????????????????????????????????

I think your starting to unravel as well

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Dsmithy70 wrote on Apr 24^th, 2013 at 1:04pm:

Makka wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:59pm: Dsmithy70 wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:56pm: Makka wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:50pm: These guys are getting a fat cheque from Gillard so of course they are going to kick up a stink The Direct Action Plan is about trying to avoid Kyoto penalties in the future I thought they were going broke & putting prices up to cover the 'TAX" forcing people like Cods to freeze??? At least that was the line up until this article appeared, now apparently they are not being taxed out of existence but being given a wade of cash from the Government. Isn't that DA? Isn't that what Tony has said he'd do??? ;D ;D That's Labor's carbon tax for you What????????????????????????????????? I think your starting to unravel as well ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Where are these companies are getting their current compensations from?

I think you've unravelled?

Who's paying the companies compensation?

Makka wrote on Apr 24^th, 2013 at 12:50pm:

These guys are getting a fat cheque from Gillard so of course they are going to kick up a stink The Direct Action Plan is about trying to avoid Kyoto penalties in the future

So they receive a fat cheque and still have to put up power prices because of the carbon tax? Which is it?

Dsmithy70 wrote on Apr 24^th, 2013 at 1:04pm:

Makka wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:59pm: Dsmithy70 wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:56pm: Makka wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:50pm: These guys are getting a fat cheque from Gillard so of course they are going to kick up a stink The Direct Action Plan is about trying to avoid Kyoto penalties in the future I thought they were going broke & putting prices up to cover the 'TAX" forcing people like Cods to freeze??? At least that was the line up until this article appeared, now apparently they are not being taxed out of existence but being given a wade of cash from the Government. Isn't that DA? Isn't that what Tony has said he'd do??? ;D ;D That's Labor's carbon tax for you What????????????????????????????????? I think your starting to unravel as well ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

STARTING????

:)

So energy prices will actually be going up under Abbotts bizarre plan.
Lets see if the shock jocks and right wing commentators stay quiet on this one..I bet we wont hear a peep from them  ;D

Makka wrote on Apr 24^th, 2013 at 12:50pm:

These guys are getting a fat cheque from Gillard so of course they are going to kick up a stink The Direct Action Plan is about trying to avoid Kyoto penalties in the future

Horse-poo.  Australia could opt out just Canada has.

Once again a thread that raises issues about coalition policy is a tumbleweed.

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view4/1158287/tumbleweed-o.gif

FVCKIN SHEEPLE

GILLARD BAD
TONY GOOD

http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/22636808.jpg

Dsmithy70 wrote on Apr 24^th, 2013 at 12:48pm:

Power companies warn Abbott on carbon Quote: Power companies are demanding the federal opposition rethink its “direct action’’ plan for reducing carbon emissions, warning that its company baseline approach could be more difficult to operate than Labor’s trading scheme. The Energy Supply Association of Australia said falling demand for power meant the Coalition must review its energy and climate change policy if it gains power at the September 14 federal election.

Are you feeling OK? You're quoting a nasty, rapacious and vile capitalist organisation. I thought they were the enemy?

salad in wrote on Apr 24^th, 2013 at 3:34pm:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:48pm: Power companies warn Abbott on carbon Quote: Power companies are demanding the federal opposition rethink its “direct action’’ plan for reducing carbon emissions, warning that its company baseline approach could be more difficult to operate than Labor’s trading scheme. The Energy Supply Association of Australia said falling demand for power meant the Coalition must review its energy and climate change policy if it gains power at the September 14 federal election. Are you feeling OK? You're quoting a nasty, rapacious and vile capitalist organisation. I thought they were the enemy?

There are no enemies just the truth???

Are you afraid of the truth???

The rest of the Coalition supporters here seem to be ;)

Dsmithy70 wrote on Apr 24^th, 2013 at 12:50pm:

Indonesia raps Abbott over tow-back policy Quote: A senior member of the Indonesian government has suggested that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's policy to turn back asylum seekers boats may harm Australia's relationship with Indonesia. [...]

And the continued arrival of boats full of illegals that get a friendly 'so long' from the Indonesians; is that improving Indonesia's relationship with Australia? A relationship is two-way. Are we expected to just keep accepting these alleged refugees and asylum shoppers? Didn't Indonesia say take the sugar off the table? One way of doing that might be to turn the boats back.

salad in wrote on Apr 24^th, 2013 at 3:38pm:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:50pm: Indonesia raps Abbott over tow-back policy Quote: A senior member of the Indonesian government has suggested that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's policy to turn back asylum seekers boats may harm Australia's relationship with Indonesia. [...] And the continued arrival of boats full of illegals that get a friendly 'so long' from the Indonesians; is that improving Indonesia's relationship with Australia? A relationship is two-way. Are we expected to just keep accepting these alleged refugees and asylum shoppers? Didn't Indonesia say take the sugar off the table? One way of doing that might be to turn the boats back.

Oooh thats all very nice dear. Too bad it's beside the point - the point being that Tony's intention of turning boats around is clearly not going to happen if Indonesia is refusing to assist. It's yet more hot air from the man who produces the most hot air in all of Australia.