Greens take hard line on compensation


BIG business pressure for generous carbon price compensation has been flatly rejected by the Greens, who will play a key role in the development of climate change policy.   

As chief executives from some of the nation's biggest companies attended climate change talks in Sydney yesterday, the Greens highlighted the fraught political landscape confronting the government's push for a carbon price.

After the Herald revealed growing unease among business leaders over the government's negotiations with the Greens, the party's leader, Bob Brown, vowed to challenge the resources industry in its campaign for compensation.   


Senator Brown accused Rio Tinto of trying to ''gouge'' public money after this week unveiling a record profit of $US14 billion.    

Rio Tinto, which owns half the country's aluminium smelters, is understood to be lobbying to ensure it is protected against higher electricity prices.

But Senator Brown said he would ''take on'' Rio, which he said would have pocketed $565 million a year under the abandoned carbon pollution reduction scheme. The Greens blocked that scheme, claiming that the compensation it offered to trade-exposed sectors and the power industry was excessive.

The Treasurer, Wayne Swan, was co-chairman yesterday of the meeting of executives from companies including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, NAB, Woolworths, Qantas and Origin Energy.

It is understood most of the executives agreed a carbon price was inevitable, but stressed the need to avoid ''unintended consequences'' for the economy. One said trade-exposed companies including BHP and Rio Tinto appeared ''nervous'', and were the most vocal in explaining their situation to the government.

''There's this feeling that this government is going to do a deal with the Greens at the end of the day and companies are nervous about that agreement and are trying to control it,'' the source said.

Another said business leaders argued strongly against any cuts to compensation. ''Industry sees it as a starting point, not as something that you might reduce,'' the source said.

A spokesman for Mr Swan said the government was working through issues such as compensation in the multi-party climate change committee, and that was only at the early stages of discussion.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Now there would be an even fight.

Rio Tinto and Bob Brown!!

By the way Imcrook, I thought you'd be a fan of Rio Tinto - they pay their workers a fair wage.

Back in '09 I was looking at some contracting work for them in Melbourne and they had a Finance role for 3 months for $75 per hour.

Good wages.

Here's some political reality for you -

Julia Gillard if she wishes to complete her promise break and bring in a carbon tax (when she said she wouldn't) then she needs to give concessions to the large mining companies and industry polluters.

If she doesn't they will bury her with their attacks - like they did Rudd. They have ENDLESS resources worth billions.

So Gillard will make concessions and agree a compromise.

The Greens will then have to move from their no concessions position or kill the bill.
If they kill the bill - we have no carbon tax.

It's win-win from my perspective.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 13^th, 2011 at 6:34pm:




Yet you missed out one element in your equation, the voters. Will they  accept a tax that gives billions to the wealthy, for nothing in return. I reckon they will not.

A Tax on Carbon Pollution while the coal companies get a free ride on the backs of tax paying working class Australians

____ wrote on Feb 13^th, 2011 at 6:48pm:


Given that 81% of voters voted for the two parties that were AGAINST carbon tax, they are just as likely to annihilate the parties that rebuke their clear and mandated choice - NO CARBON TAX.

Lets see...given that the latest polls show that the majority of Aussies are up for a carbon price, whether the mining parasites who puppeteer the Liberal Party get the same sort of support that Gerry Harvey got recently, eh!?

So what happens if the ALP wont cave and either will the greens you know who wins - the Liberals.

They will sit back and watch these two squabble without giving an inch and nothing will happen as a result.

Much like the same reason why the Greens werent brought to the table when the ETS was under discussion.