Prime Minister Julia Gillard has taken a swipe at the Greens who she says forced her about-turn on a carbon tax, labelling them one of the “extremes” in Australian politics.
Delivering the annual Don Dunstan lecture in Adelaide last night, Ms Gillard compared her political allies to the Coalition and criticised their lack of vision for major reform.
Ms Gillard was in the mood for confessing, admitting she had broken an election promise not to introduce a price on carbon.
“Yes, I did promise that there would be no carbon tax,” she said.
But Ms Gillard says it is now or never.
“If Australia does not adopt a carbon price in 2011, we probably never will. This is the year of decision.”
The Prime Minister needs to get past her broken election promise before she can rebuild Labor’s and her own standing with voters and gain momentum for a carbon tax.
Dogged by Coalition taunts that the Greens are pulling the strings in the Government, Ms Gillard is attempting to keep Labor at a distance from the minor party that helped it form government.
She will also need their votes to get the carbon tax through Parliament.
“The Coalition has surrendered itself to fear mongering and denying the power of markets,” she said.
“The Greens are not a party of government and have no tradition of striking the balance required to deliver major reform.”
But Greens leader Bob Brown says he is not too offended by the comments.
“Oh look, it’s a bit of a political swipe in the middle of a very good speech, I thought. I’m sure she doesn’t mean we’re the same extreme as the Tony Abbott lot,” he said.
Like the Prime Minister, Senator Brown will not say who came up with the carbon tax idea, insisting discussions in the Multi-party Climate Change Committee remain confidential.
“No-one’s forced anybody into anything. There’s been mutual agreement here,” he said.
Ms Gillard promises her carbon tax will not threaten jobs.
“Welders and steel workers will build and maintain large-scale solar power plants; plumbers and electricians will be reskilled to install solar hot water systems and solar panels, and there will be new jobs too,” she said.
