Firstly, I completely support the main idea behind the Carbon Tax -whereby the bigger polluting businesses that fail to innovate or switch to greener technology are taxed at a higher rate than those businesses that invest in green technology options. It’s based on the premise that if polluting becomes cost-prohibitive, polluters will be forced to find cleaner ways of producing their goods, benefiting the environment and world as a whole. 

However, under the scheme, the cost of living is expected to rise by $9.90 a week with a large number of families set to receive compensation of around $10.10 per week. On the flip side, there are individuals, or families, on higher incomes that will not receive any compensation at all.

To me this sounds like a redistribution of wealth from the “have’s” to the “have not’s”. If this was the Government’s intention, why didn’t they simply raise taxes instead of hiding those intentions within a Carbon Tax? 

Secondly, if the aim of the Carbon Tax is to help the individual to reduce their carbon footprint through a tax, how does giving a large majority of the population tax breaks actually encourage adherence to a lower carbon footprint? If we as a nation are serious about reducing carbon emissions, shouldn’t we all pay the cost of this tax together instead of a select few subsidising the rest?

It is interesting to note that Australia is responsible for around two per cent of global carbon emissions, so even if we as a nation stop polluting tomorrow it would have very little impact on a world scale. I do, however, applaud the Carbon Tax as a bold first step and hope that other countries come to adopt similar measures over time. Only then will we see large-scale reductions in carbon pollution that will ultimately benefit the world for generations to come.

While the ideas behind the Carbon Tax are sound, its execution seems flawed and the true impact on business and households remains to be seen.  

Will the Carbon Tax make you think twice before turning on the heater next winter?