What does the greenhouse effect have to do with the 'Socialist Left' of Labor or of any other faction of any political party? Unfortunately the answer is now all too clear. The new measures to counteract that effect are yet another socialist excuse for redistributing wealth. So why stop there? Why not introduce progressive pricing for everything? Or progressive wages for every occupation? Or progressive interest rates? (I was a very unhappy victim of the last time that happened.)

If I sound a bit on the sour side, let me mention that ever since I briefly held the position of advocate for a small public sector union and had to study wage relativities carefully, I have watched every single wage, taxation, fiscal etc measure include an attempt to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor. That was 43 years ago. And we are still not there yet. What is needed to make the Tristans of the world happy? That's the question that everyone should be asking of our left wing politicians and commentators. Then we might know what we are up against.

In the mean time, let's acknowledge that the cost of energy is going to increase if emissions are to be reduced. And that increase will flow into the cost of everything we own and do, as night follows day. Get used to it. If politicians want to charge different amounts to different folk, the rational approach would be to charge most to the people making the loudest demands to see carbon emissions reduced. I guess that means the Socialist Left will head the list.

Curmudgeon, I think I know why we are doing this. I could be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure it's to give people like you the shiz.

Looks like it could be working too.

Bugsy - its a thought but I have come to the regretful conclusion that the world does not revolve around me..

In any case I'm not so much annoyed as puzzled, or perhaps exasperated..

Tombee;

The point is that for decades redistribution has been going on to the detriment of the poor, and of average income earners.

This includes the structure of the tax system, labour market deregulation, and the impact of privatisation and user pays.

It's also in the context of a falling wage share of the economy.

The trend has continued under both Labor and Liberal governments.

So your premises are false - Redistribution in favour of the poor and average workers would be a correction to the opposite trend - which has been going on decades.

For more info see: http://leftfocus.blogspot.com/2011/06/double-standards-when-its-comes-to-talk.html

Definition of EXASPERATE (www.merriam-webster.com)

transitive verb
a : to excite the anger of : enrage
b : to cause irritation or annoyance to

Looks like I was right.

Again.

Three Blind Mice

See how they run ....

Watch out for the farmer's wife!