When the Senate changes over next Tuesday, the Palmer United Party (PUP) will become the largest voting bloc on the new micro-party cross bench. This, coupled with the PUP’s agreement with Victoria’s Motoring Enthusiast Party senator Ricky Muir, means that Clive Palmer’s voting announcements are not being taken lightly.
Mr Palmer yesterday told Australia that his party would support the repeal of the carbon tax, and he will be meeting with Prime Minister Tony Abbott this morning to discuss his stance – it will be their first meeting in two years.
Mr Palmer made his announcement yesterday while standing beside by former USA vice-president Al Gore. Mr Palmer explained that he would only support the abolition of the carbon tax if the legislation was revised to guarantee that lower prices would be passed onto consumers.
Instead of the carbon tax, Mr Palmer announced that his party would like to see an emissions trading scheme (ETS) put in place, similar to the one proposed when Labor was in power. He also said that the PUP would vote against the Coalition’s move to disband the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the Renewable Energy Target (RET) and the Climate Change Authority.
“True to our promises to the Australian people at the last election, Palmer United senators will vote in the Senate to abolish the carbon tax,” Mr Palmer said.
He also explained how he, a former climate change sceptic, had come around on the issue.
“Meeting with the vice-president, someone who is a world authority on that, was able to enlighten me on a number of aspects about climate change which I wasn’t fully familiar with and the importance of it for all Australians,” Mr Palmer said.
“There’s no point listening to people if you’re not prepared to change your view on certain things.”
Find out more from the ABC News website.
Opinion: Knight in shining armour
It seems strange that Mr Gore would lend his support to Mr Palmer as the PUP senator announced that his party would support the abolition of the carbon tax. Although Mr Palmer also discussed his hope that Australia could take part in an emissions trading scheme, the scheme would not come into effect until Australia’s major trading partners also got on board, an event which could take years, if it happens at all.
While it is commendable and, as a consumer, appreciated, that he is pushing to pass any savings from the repeal of the carbon tax on to consumers, it seems unlikely that this will ever be fully realised. Big business is well known for its ability to turn a profit, and no matter how carefully worded the legislation, they will never pass on all the savings to the little guy.
What this essentially means is that we won’t have a price on carbon, we won’t have an emissions trading scheme, big business will make even more money and there will be no incentive to reduce carbon emissions. The only people who will benefit are those profiting from big business, and Clive Palmer himself, as their knight in shining armour.
While it was heartening to see a former climate sceptic change his opinion, something rarely witnessed in Australian politics, this whole issue begs the question: what is Clive Palmer’s real agenda?
What do you think? Is Clive Palmer the only sensible politician in parliament? Do you agree with his decisions? Or do you think he is playing everyone for a fool?
Eventually people will come to realise that, for Clive, it is all about Palmer
Palmer the Charmer ….
We will all know when the senate changes over next week. Although Clive is sounding good I feel ill at ease that Clive is going to make some demands to suit his business model…money for himself. Lets wait and see.
Yes, it is all about Clive. Read this about the missing $12 million dollars allegedly spent on his electoral campaign but denied by him.
This man has as many twists and turns as a snake.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/a-hint-for-dupes-follow-the-money/story-e6frg6zo-1226968229528
Whats a Shillings worth of Millions amongst Billionares ??
What’s the name of his party – oh yes Clive Palmer United, all about Clive!
Yes !! But He does cast a Big Shadow !!
A back down is a back down even. We all (nearly all) know what Clive Palmer stands for. A Liberal sheep in PUPS clothing
Tony will be Patting Him on the back next week for being a Good Pup !!!
A “Liberal sheep” who hates Abbott inc. He might not be all bad.
I fail to understand why anyone voted for him in the first place . He is very obviously a fraud and a buffoon. Now he has an ally in the American song and dance man called Gore .
What a pair. Maybe if we don’t feed them they will go away .
What ?? We cant afford to Feed Them !! Looks like they are going away ??.
First Tea will be served a 5.30pm .. Dunno what time Second Tea was ??
Your alternative is what we now have: a deceitful, morally corrupt government owned by big business and there to do its bidding…and bugger everyone else. So you think Palmer is bad? Well lets wait and see what happens when the senate clicks over next week. At least Clive has so far backed the nation, not big business.
I dont think either Palmer or Gore would suffer ill health if they did not eat for a week.
OOW !! What a frightful thought ? A Malnourished Whale !!
Are you for real Mick? Clive Palmer is all about Clive Palmer. He has backed the Nation?!! A snake oil salesman who has taken many people for fools – they even voted for him.
The biggest fools have been the ALP, thinking that Clive would give Abbott a hard time. HA HA HA!!!
He did give Tony a hard time !! He ate all the Breakfast before Tony could get His Greedy Paws on it !!!.. “WTF ???” He said !!
Clive is certainly full of surprises. How did he get Al Gore to play puppy dog? I do think he is playing us all for fools.
Al Gore can be bought and money speaks all languages ?
I think you may find his policy position is very close to Abbotts. Anyway I make it 38 unless someone crosses the floor. This time Rudd will be able to say with certainty it is gone.
So what is your take Robiconda? So far Clive has not put a foot wrong. We’ll see if he is the real McCoy next week though when the senate clicks over.
$200,000 will do it every time!
Thank God we will be rid of the ridiculous Carbon Tax.
Now we just need to torpedo the Paid Parental Leave scheme
Agree totally . Can’t afford it …don’t need it .
Shame on You 50 Grand isn’t that much to pay for The New Arrival Childs Welfare for a few weeks !!…
Rid of the carbon Tax, PPLS,$7 co-payment, leave the Pensioners alone. Not much left in the Horror Budget for poor Tony. Might have to swallow our pride and thank Clive.
I swallowed My Pride long ago !! I’m just breathing this Filthy Air that I’m paying for and haven’t noticed yet ??.. But I have Cancelled My Beijing Visit !!…
I find it interesting that some people just parrot the Abbott line. The Carbon Tax was not wanted by the coal industry and that is why it is “bad”. Come on guys. Learn to think for yourselves so that you are able to make a call rather than be a parrot.
The truth is that the Carbon Tax was in fact working. The electricity generators were all seriously concerned as renewables were indeed starting to bite. There was no disadvantage with our offshore competitors and even if there were Australia could have levied a levy on countries which used dirty energy. So lets not be tools of a deceitful government intent on making the rich much richer and the poor serfs.
Agree on removing the paid P L scheme. I worked in a public hospital in Westerrn Sydney, and to have staff member off got one year on half pay is bloody ridiculous, and this is as far back as 2000. Alternative was 6 months on full pay — government employees only.!! Crazy.
Frank.. I think Tony wants all the Pensioner to go off on Half Pay for One Year ??
I worked with 3 women and 2 of them went off at the same time. The 2 of us had to do their work while they were away, then they both took an extension for another 3 months. We were rooted. After that they decided they wouldn’t come back to work because they enjoyed motherhood too much. Who could blame them it’s one of life’s greatest joys. I’ve never been so exhausted when I look back. Anyway we were happy for them to leave so we could finally employ 2 new staff to help us.
If Clive Palmer is playing anyone for a fool, it would have to be Al Gore as first cab off the rank. Maybe Al was suffering from jet lag, or maybe Clive’s Aussie accent confused him. Not only do we have Al Gore to thank for accelerating the great global warming hoax, we can also thank him for helping to put George W Bush into the US presidency. I shudder to think what he will do to round off his hat trick. I am also wondering what will come out of Thursday’s breakfast meeting between Clive and Tony Abbott.
Pork Belly Futures, I suggest ??
After doing a bit of research on Al Gore I have come to the opinon that he is a fraud and he and Clive have a great deal in common….both in it for themselves.
You had the Gal to Study Gore ?? Your time is not Precious I take it ??..
Never underestimate the power of self-interest. Clive is worth keeping a close eye on but if he lives up to some of his statements we are in for an interesting time in politics.
He has certainly pulled one out of the hat with the Carbon Tax demand. Tony will be able to meet his promise but not the way he wanted to and it appears he will have to back down on other stated intentions.
My bet is that Abbott will be so desperate to produce results for his big business bosses that he will do a deal with Clive. I hope that I have this wrong but only time will tell.
Stop making fun of this Gaseous Matter !!!
The Carbon Pricing Scheme is about to become an ETS anyway in this year or next. So why is Clive prepared to get rid of it and at the same time promise to give us one, on HIS terms, some unknown time in the future? Doesn’t make sense! It is a devious ploy to try to make everyone happy. I don’t understand why Al Gore is supporting this ploy.
You are not reporting the facts Robiconda. From what I understand the Carbon Tax as it currently stands has an ETS built into it. Palmer could leave it in place but wants an entirely new model. One has to wonder why.
Palmer stated last night that any price on carbon would “be tied into what our trading partners are doing”. A bit like price matching. Smart.
Smart but devious? He’s such a very recent ‘convert’, whose fortune is based a high emission industry and whose ‘solution’ is based on some distant hypothetical and complex set of events. Smoke and mirrors.
Clive will have to reveal the real Clive soon, methinks. I wonder if it’s much closer to Abbott than he’s let on.
Not another Comment about Uranus and the Sun !
He is making sure the ETS built in is gone and replaced with a new one that has a zero to start off charging and wont kick in until such time as the rest of the industrial world is also on board. This is a good thing as it will never come to fruition.
Seeing as it has at long last started to kick in even into the the minds of even the laziest of people, that it has not warmed for 17 years and 10 months now and wont as we are in a cooling period.
I think most of us on this site will be pushing up daisies before all other big polluters come on board re an ETS…doubt I will see an ETS in my liftime.