After years of internecine explanation and debate on the importance of putting a price on carbon to reduce global warming, the general public still doesn’t really understand it. A recent poll from ‘Essential Research’ shows only 30% of the electorate consider taxing carbon output as ‘crucial to addressing climate change’. The Opposition’s policy platform has taken the environmental argument and turned it around on the government. Post Copenhagen, Tony Abbott has identified that most Australians consider that protecting jobs and industries is more important than protecting the environment.
Tony Abbott who, this week launched his environmental policy, clearly and cleverly delineated himself from the complexities of the government’s ETS policy, with a very effective policy in terms of political point scoring. He has developed a policy which he claims will be effective for the short to medium term while we see what the rest of the world does. The gap between good policy and good politics may be identified as the debate continues in parliament this week. Abbott tweeted the details of his policy announcement online and his twitter stream has been alive with commentary since. For the first time in two years the government has a clear opposition and is on the back step. The government has been caught up being unable to clearly answer questions on the economic cost of its own policy to the individual…. How much will a loaf of bread, or a litre of petrol rise with the introduction of the ETS cap-and-trade legislation? Shadows of the ghost John Hewson are rising. It will be interesting to watch how the government repositions itself, but currently, on this issue there is suddenly a lot of talk about the economy and education. Indeed, this week’s blog by the Prime Minister is on children’s literacy. Now, while there is nothing wrong with this itself, the silence on his ETS at this time is a little disconcerting. His minister Penny Wong, interviewed on Lateline last week obstinantlyrefused to answer questions on how the ETS will impact the community and just kept up generalised criticism of Tony Abbott’s approach instead of arguing up the merits of the government’s approach. Online her presence, again, has been in the same vain.
The government must be very thankful for Julia Gillard’s policy success this week, as her ‘My School’ website continues to be well received by the public with very positive feedback. She is following up this success with a further allocation of $2 billion to help disadvantaged schools identified by her new website, and while al la Gillard doesn’t tweet, there is certainly an interesting twitter conversation watching her. Perhaps someone should encourage her to participate.
This week the government will reintroduce its ETS legislation to parliament. It will be interesting to watch if they can, third time lucky, get clarity in their message and engage the public.
