Star backing for carbon tax
PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has enlisted the Terminator in her campaign to convince voters of the merits of Labor’s carbon price.
Ms Gillard met film star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Perth yesterday, after the pair penned a joint article on climate change.
The meeting came as polling showed the Coalition appeared to be on track to seize at least 35 Labor seats at the September 14 election.
The Abbott government has stated their top priority to be abolishing the carbon tax.
California’s carbon trading scheme started on January 1 this year, six months after Australia’s carbon price.
Schwarzenegger argues the system has put California – which has a bigger economy than Australia’s – on track to source a third of its energy from renewables by 2020.
Ms Gillard said after the meeting the former Republican governor recognised the need for a market approach to tackling climate change.
‘‘He is from the conservative side of politics, a Republican,’’ she said.
‘‘If he was here in Australia, he would be on the Liberal-National side of politics, but he saw his way to putting a price on carbon as the best way of tackling climate change.’’
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the carbon tax had proven to be an ‘‘economic own goal’’, while failing to cut emissions within Australia.
‘‘We’ll have more trees, better soils, smarter technology and in the end it’s human ingenuity that will keep our environment clean – not big government and more taxes,’’ Mr Abbott said.
Asked about Labor’s polling, Ms Gillard yesterday said she would not comment on ‘‘ rumour and speculation’’.
She declined to use Schwarzenegger’s famous ‘‘I’ll be back’’ line about her political future, instead saying: ‘‘ I am confident when people vote on September 14 and they are facing such a clear choice . . . they will choose Labor.’’
Defence Minister and West Australian MP Stephen Smith said he was confident Labor would retain its three WA seats.
Meanwhile, the prime minister is likely to be handed a win on school funding today with South Australia poised to sign on to the Gonski plan. BREAKING NATIONAL NEWS
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