Wong downplays Windsor’s carbon comments
Federal Finance Minister Penny Wong has downplayed Tony Windsor’s suggestion the government can’t guarantee petrol will be exempt from a carbon tax forever.
The key independent on Monday said the government couldn’t bind future governments to its proposed carbon pricing mechanism that exempts petrol for cars and light vehicles.
But Senator Wong said Prime Minister Julia Gillard had clearly articulated the government’s plan to make the petrol exemption permanent.
“He obviously speaks for himself, but he’s making the obvious point about what future governments might or might not do,” she told Macquarie Radio on Monday.
“What the prime minister is talking about is her government and our position is it’s not going to be in now and won’t be in the future.”
Senator Wong, who previously served as climate change minister, said all fuel – including petrol, diesel and LPG for passenger and light commercial vehicles – would be exempt from carbon pricing.
“To put it in punter-friendly terms, that means families, tradies, small businesses won’t pay a carbon price on passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles,” she said.
Meanwhile, uncertainty over the carbon price is keeping Australians out of the shops, retailers say.
Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA) CEO Margy Osmond said a 0.6 per cent drop in retail figures for May was the worst fall since October 2010.
“Australians need to know what this carbon price will mean for them as individuals, so they can see the real impact on their household budgets and plan accordingly,” she said in a statement.
“Then we might begin to see them creeping back in store, at least we hope to.”
Ms Osmond called on the federal government to release the details of a carbon pricing scheme as quickly as possible.
“Uncertainty had deflated the retail sector, which is also struggling with the continued negativity on the carbon price, contributing to low consumer confidence,” she said
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