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Australia Scraps Tax on Carbon Australia Scraps Tax on Carbon
(about 1 month later)
SYDNEY, Australia — The Australian government on Thursday repealed laws requiring large companies to pay for carbon emissions, fulfilling a key election promise of Prime Minister Tony Abbott. SYDNEY, Australia — The Australian government on Thursday repealed laws requiring large companies to pay for carbon emissions, fulfilling a key election promise of Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The Senate voted 39 to 32 on Thursday to repeal the so-called carbon tax, after Mr. Abbott’s conservative government secured the support of a number of independent senators. The House of Representatives voted earlier in the week to repeal the measure, which has been a highly contentious issue in Australian politics.The Senate voted 39 to 32 on Thursday to repeal the so-called carbon tax, after Mr. Abbott’s conservative government secured the support of a number of independent senators. The House of Representatives voted earlier in the week to repeal the measure, which has been a highly contentious issue in Australian politics.
The measure was devised to penalize hundreds of Australia’s biggest producers of carbon emissions, setting a price of 23 Australian dollars, or $21.50, per metric ton of carbon dioxide when it was put into effect in 2012 under Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The price rose to 25 Australian dollars this month.The measure was devised to penalize hundreds of Australia’s biggest producers of carbon emissions, setting a price of 23 Australian dollars, or $21.50, per metric ton of carbon dioxide when it was put into effect in 2012 under Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The price rose to 25 Australian dollars this month.
Mr. Abbott, who took office last year, had made repealing the tax a central pledge of his campaign, arguing that doing so would reduce electricity prices and enhance economic growth. After the vote Thursday, he 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.”Mr. Abbott, who took office last year, had made repealing the tax a central pledge of his campaign, arguing that doing so would reduce electricity prices and enhance economic growth. After the vote Thursday, he 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.”
But members of the Labor opposition and the Green Party said the repeal would undermine Australia’s efforts to address climate change.But members of the Labor opposition and the Green Party said the repeal would undermine Australia’s efforts to address climate change.