Labor has accused the government of bullying new crossbenchers in its rush to axe the carbon tax, which the coalition wants scrapped by the Senate this week.
But minor party leader Clive Palmer has welcomed the move, saying Australia has debated the tax for five years.
The Senate had issued a July 14 deadline for a crucial report into the government’s carbon repeal legislation, which needs to be tabled before debate can begin.
But the Abbott government says it will ignore the former Senate’s timetable, and on Monday bring on its carbon repeal legislation with the help of minor party senators.
Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong said the government was bullying the new crossbenchers, who will be sworn in on Monday morning.
“What the government is doing is asking the Senate and the new senators on the crossbench to suspend standing orders and bring on a vote on legislation which is due to be debated on July 14th,” she told ABC Radio on Monday.
But the manager of government business in the Senate Mitch Fifield said Australians had voted to scrap the carbon tax at last year’s federal election.
“This week we would like to see the Australian Senate give effect to what the Australian people have already indicated they want,” he told ABC Radio.
Twelve new senators will be sworn in on Monday, including three from the Palmer United Party, the Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party’s Ricky Muir, Family First’s Bob Day and Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm.
PUP leader Clive Palmer supported a vote to scrap the carbon tax this week.
“I think it’s a good idea because Australians have debated the carbon tax now for five years,” he told ABC Radio.
The renewed push to scrap the tax came as 59 economists wrote an open letter calling for a price on carbon.
Putting a price and limit on carbon pollution is the most economically efficient way to reduce emissions, they said.
“Australia can and should do its fair share to contribute to global emissions cuts,” the letter says.
source: yahoo.com
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 