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September 19, 2010
I have to admit that I am rather wary of Marius Kloppers, the CEO of BHP Billiton, embrace of a hybrid carbon tax and suggesting that Australia take the lead on climate change policy. The record of this transnational on climate change and environmental protection is not good.
Kloppers' intervention into the climate change policy debate about putting a price on carbon is a hybrid because Klopper's suggestion involves both a levy on carbon with compensating mechanisms for industries affected, plus a limited trading scheme in order to reduce consumption of energy produced by coal fired station and to encourage low carbon alternatives.
Why this now? To take the lead and shape the climate change policy of the Gillard Government so that it favours BHP Billiton is my best guess. The ALP is not going to lead on this issue (it was on the backburner since Labor's old emissions trading scheme, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, was dead) and so the policy on climate change will be driven by both the Independents and The Greens after July 2011.
What we have is a preemptive strike by Kloppers. He is dealing BHP Billiton into the policy game on climate change at the early stage. The onus is now back on the Gillard Government, which was willing to bury the issue in a special committee.Kloppers' intervention means that the issue has to be resolved.
The Liberals continue to chant about a great big tax on business and consumers and completely reject any movement to setting a carbon price. Even though the ground has shifted Abbott still talks in terms of the great big tax on everything. Unlike BHP Billiton, is not looking beyond coal, and he looks to be increasingly at a odds with big business. His position remains one of ferocious opposition.
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Its a bit like when the psychiatrist pretends to be on your side when your standing on the edge of the building......if you ask me.