Carbon Tax Leads To Big Electricity Price Hikes For Locals
23 September 2011
Small business owners, families and pensioners in the Hills district will face massive increases to their electricity bills if the Gillard Government introduces their Carbon Tax.
Speaking in Parliament this week Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke spoke of the concerns local small businesses have with the introduction of this tax at a time when many are already struggling to make ends meet.
“Running a small business in Australia today is a Herculean feat,” Mr Hawke said. “They are being asked to foot the bill for the Labor Party’s absolute incompetence in managing the environment and our economic future.”
The Carbon Tax will add significantly to the cost of electricity which affects everyone in our local community.
“People need electricity. Our economy needs electricity. Our households need electricity. We cannot stunt usage by creating a disincentive through price.
“It will make all of us poorer and it will challenge our ability to get ahead internationally.”
Energy intensive small businesses in our area would receive no compensation and would face a choice of either passing on the extra costs to struggling families or being forced to shut their doors.
“What is going to happen to small individual dry cleaners? Is there a compensation package for them? Of course there is no compensation for them. Can they pass on a massive increase in cost to their customers? Of course not. In practicality, people are going to dry-clean less. What is going to happen to those businesses?”
The damage the Carbon Tax will cause to the local economy is harder to fathom because not one Australian had a chance to vote for it and Labor has no mandate to introduce it.
“It is a fact that 144 of the MPs in this chamber campaigned against a carbon tax at the last election. That is why the coalition have been clear about our position: if you want to do such a major reform, you must first place it in front of the Australian people.
Alex Hawke said that the general consensus of local residents he had spoken to was very clear.
“They worry about their standard of living – and they are right to do so.”