The argument against Australia’s adoption of a carbon tax by those on the conservative side of politics is one of “let’s wait until the world has come up with an agreement about this.” Wait and see is their motto. This lack of leadership characterises Australia under the stultifying leadership of past Liberal governments, like Menzies and Howard. Tony Abbot is rallying the troops around the “no carbon tax and we will repeal it if elected” position. Even big business in Australia wants the certainty of a carbon tax, because they know they need to factor this into their pricing and fiscal realities sooner than later.

Heaven help Australia if the negative do nothing but complain factor ever swings into the balance of power. News Corp endlessly sniping at the NBN initiative, saying it’s too expensive and basically criticising any and every aspect of it they can. Imagine being a Murdoch journalist – instructed to write nay saying negative piece after piece on this brave nation changing venture. The free market has not delivered us great broadband coverage in this country, especially if you live in a regional area, and they were not going to any time soon. So shut the f—- up about letting the market take care of things.

We are only now emerging from the consequences of the über greed of a bunch of international bankers and their wonderful version of the free market. That is why world-wide government policies toward combatting climate change have been postponed, not indefinetly shelved as most short sighted conservative sided pollies would have it. Pollution must have a price in the market and a carbon tax will give us that.