July 22, 2014

The Australian Senate last week voted 39 to 32 to repeal the country’s so-called carbon tax, fulfilling a campaign promise of conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott. The House of Representatives voted earlier in the week to repeal the highly contentious measure. The tax–passed by then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Labor Party to combat climate change–required large companies to pay for carbon dioxide emissions. It was devised to force Australia’s biggest air polluters to cut such emissions, setting a price of $23 Australian ($21.50 U.S.) per metric ton of carbon dioxide when it went into effect in 2012.

Abbott, who became prime minister in 2013, characterized the measure as a “useless, destructive tax, which damaged jobs, which hurt families’ cost of living and which didn’t actually help the environment.” Brendan Pearson, head of the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), issued a statement that the removal of “the world’s biggest carbon tax is an important step towards regaining the competitive edge that Australia lost over the last decade.” MCA represents the minerals industry, both nationally and internationally.

Australia's thriving mining industry produces large amounts of bauxite, coal, copper, diamonds, iron ore, lead, opals, and zinc. The industry strongly supported the repeal of the carbon tax. (© Mike James, Photo Researchers)

The leader of Australia’s Labor Party, Bill Shorten, responded to the repeal by branding Abbott an “environmental vandal.” “Today, Tony Abbott has made Australia the first country in the world to reverse action on climate change,” declared Shorten.

Additional World Book articles:

• Liberal Party
• Australia 2013 (a Back in Time article)
• Australian prime minister 2013 (a Back in Time article)
• Carbon Offsets: Reducing Your Footprint (a special report)
• What We Know About Global Warming (a special report)