New Zealand, get ready for Australian Carbon Tax

New Zealand needs to get ready for a carbon price in Australia, the leaders of the Green Parties in both countries said today.

The Australian Greens’ support of Julia Gillard’s Government hinges on a commitment to a carbon price. As a result, an agreement to put a price on pollution is currently being negotiated across the Tasman.

Australian Greens Leader, Senator Bob Brown, who will visit Auckland this weekend, said: “Pricing pollution is much cheaper than subsidising polluters.”

“As the world’s worst atmospheric polluter, per capita, Australia is likely to agree to a carbon price on the nation’s 1000 worst polluters by early July. After a three-year carbon tax, Australia will be set to join a global carbon trading scheme by 2015,” Senator Brown said.

“So we may leapfrog New Zealand in national preparedness for global action by 2015, though we remain behind New Zealand in protecting native forests,” Senator Brown said.

New Zealand Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said the Australian move to a real price on carbon would demonstrate the weakness of National’s Emissions Trading Scheme: “Our Government will face a decision after the Australians move. And that’s whether we get polluters to pay or whether we continue to make the taxpayer cover their bill for pollution.

“We’re already spending about $1 billion a year subsidising polluters and as the price of carbon goes up, that bill will go up too. It is good for the environment and the economy to have the polluters pay.”

Dr Norman also noted that the National-led Government’s review of the ETS would find no way out once Australia put on a carbon tax, and should look forward rather than back: “The race is on to innovate and move to a low carbon economy. By setting a higher and firmer price on carbon, Australia will have an edge over New Zealand in the new low carbon economy.

“A higher price on carbon will stimulate thousands of green jobs in Australia, while New Zealand will be left behind with an economy choked by greenhouse gases.”

Senator Bob Brown will be in Auckland this weekend to speak to the New Zealand Green Party’s AGM and conference on Monday.