Isra-Mart srl: Abbott's carbon plebiscite 'doomed'

www.isra-mart.com

TONY Abbott's call for voters to decide on the carbon tax has hit its first major setback after independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott rejected the move as an expensive stunt.

The Opposition Leader has called for a plebiscite on the carbon tax but he vowed to oppose the tax even if the public supported it.

The move came as Julia Gillard won support for her climate change plans from Conservative New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who said emissions trading ``has worked'' for his country.

Ms Gillard discussed setting up a trans-Tasman carbon market during an official visit to Canberra by her Kiwi counterpart. She said she wanted to "catch up with our Kiwi friends'' by pricing carbon.

Mr Key, who addressed a joint sitting of the Australian Parliament yesterday, is currently reviewing the emissions trading scheme he inherited from the former New Zealand Labor government.

He declined to comment on the specifics of Ms Gillard's plan but warned the close links across the Tasman could be damaged if the two countries took different approaches.

But Mr Abbott welcomed Mr Key's attempts to "water down'' the NZ emissions trading scheme and said his party would go one step further by revoking the carbon tax if he won government.

Mr Abbott is seeking backing from both houses of parliament for the carbon tax to go to a plebiscite within 90 days.

He is negotiating with independent Senators Nick Xenophon and Steve Fielding to back the plebiscite this week before the Greens gain control of the balance of power in the Upper House.

Both senators said they were considering backing the move.

But Senator Xenophon said the proposed "yes or no'' question was too simplistic and voters should get a say on details of the carbon tax legislation and related compensation.

"The question can't be loaded, it should be about the specifics, not slogans,'' Senator Xenophon said.

Mr Abbott will need to convince Tasmanian Independent Andrew Wilkie to support the plebiscite if it is to pass the lower house.

Mr Wilkie said he wanted to see more detail before deciding whether to support it.

Queensland Independent Bob Katter said he was "100 per cent behind Tony Abbott on this''.

But Mr Oakeshott and Mr Windsor, who are both involved in drawing up the carbon tax legislation, said they would not support the move.

Labor and the Greens also rejected the proposal, which would cost at least $70 million.

"This is a complete stunt by Mr Abbott,'' Ms Gillard said.

A plebiscite is similar to a referendum but voting is not compulsory and the result is not binding. Mr Abbott said he would still argue against the carbon tax even if the voters backed it in a plebiscite.

But he said he was confident the public would reject the tax. "Something of this nature must go to the people before it becomes law,'' Mr Abbott said.