News | 29th May, 2013

Shorten to block Abbott on carbon tax

29 May 2013
Tom Arup, The Age
Employment Minister Bill Shorten has indicated that should he lead Labor after the federal election, he 
would not be willing to roll over to Tony Abbott and allow a Coalition government to abolish the price on 
carbon. 
 
In an email to a concerned lobby group, Mr Shorten said two recent articles which suggested he would 
lead Labor after the election and readily assent to the abolition of the troublesome policy were 
"misleading". "For the record, I told the journalist who asked me about carbon pricing that I'd always 
supported the government's carbon pricing policy and that hasn't changed," he said.
 
"A carbon price is the best way to do something about climate change, so we can pass on the planet to 
our kids and grand-kids in the best shape possible."
 
He says the election poses a "real choice" between competing climate change policies. He tells the 
group, Lighter Footprints: "Feel free to tell your friends I absolutely support Labor's smart and fair carbon pricing policy."
 
Mr Shorten was responding to an email from the group's convener who wrote: "We read that the ALP is 
considering (post a lost election) dumping its position on a price of carbon and possibly the ETS and we 
lose whatever hope we (have) in this government. 
 
"Don't do it, even if you are thinking like this."
 
Mr Abbott has promised repeatedly that if the Senate does not allow him to abolish the carbon price, he 
will call a double dissolution election.
  
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