In Australia at the end of the Keating Govt we had wage indexation. This fundamental right was removed by the Howard Govt. The notion that business people should fund the salary increases of their employees, "not Govt's", dissolved in a ideological frenzy.

If we are to fear, the Corporation's and International Mega businesses, passing on the cost of pollution/carbon to the consumer, then insisting that businesses fund increases in salary, equivalent to the rate of inflation annually to their employees ( as once was the right of an australian citizen) is a simple solution that would go a long way towards keeping the bastards honest.

If the consumers living standards are to be undermined or eroded by the increasing cost of essential services, then wage increase's funded by the same business sector compensates appropriately for that. Ending the need for worry.

The notion that the taxpayer should fund his/her own salary increase in the form of tax cuts is erroneous. As we continue to erode our own personal wealth this way,(and the wealth of our country), the very same business sector expect the taxpayer to compensate them.

Working people in Australia have not had an inflation indexed wage increase in over 15 years. Of course people are hurting because their living standards have been deteriorating for that long , on this one standalone point. And as for Carbon,

The notion that the end user is the reason for the way we currently generate power, and so therefore is responsible, is also erroneous.

The man on the street, has had no real input in the decision making process, but the faceless and powerful have. The same wealthy, faceless and powerful people, can now spend their own money on advertising their viewpoints on commercial (free to air) television largely controlled by themselves, with ad campaigns barely resembling the truth.

cont..

Dear thinker 2,

My understanding of the so called carbon tax is that it is only intended as an incentive for the polluting industries to develop more efficient means of industry and energy production that would reduce pollution and in the end it would not be necessary to continue with the tax. Unfortunately it's hard to estimate the time frame. It may not be Australia that will set the direction we might have to follow
the inventiveness of other nations. The fact remains something needs to be done to encourage the reduction of pollution. Perhaps we'll know more after the release of the government's package on Sunday.

Maybe Howard's ETS was a better idea, hell he didn't get it up, Rudd didn't get it up ... third time lucky for Gillard?

Maybe the only real alternative will be plain old rationing.

The government sets the amount of energy to be generated or fuel to be consumed for a given period and each household or individual is allocated a maximum amount for that period.
Maybe they could trade that allocation among themselves but it would certainly cap the amount of emissions being generated.

Not the ideal solution but one that could work.

plain old rationing.
wobbles,
Yes & include breeding ! In the early days nature had its way of curbing excesses but man's inventiveness outsmarted nature via medicine & food production. Now we're gradually getting back to nature again by her baulking at the mess we're making & guess what ? She's on track ! Carbon tax is simply more money for the hangers on & make them feel warm 'n fuzzy. It does nothing for the planet.

Lexi has a point.
Sunday will be informative.
In my view it was never ever, under John Howard or Labor be a crushing impost.
Think about that, would any form of government knowingly destroy any part of its economy.
The very driving force behind this is as Lexi says to drive change,
And opposition to it?
Consider the board rooms of multi National groups, owners and profit takers from dirty technology's?
Any chance self interest, driven by fear of profit loss is funding this?
Now it is known I proudly am an ex trade union official.
Such gets me insulted and my movement and my ALP for among other things funding the anti Work Choices fight,yes we did, guilty as charged we did that in the name of? SELF INTEREST!
The people spot lighting this, are not likely to ever tell us, what funding the anti Climate Change tax funding they receive is.
And from who.
I would ask are any ties, any coaching, or swapping of ideas, taking place between Americas weird dysfunctional, and just maybe bought and paid for Republican party and its branch trading as Liberal/National Party here.
We on Sunday join the better part of this planet in saying we care.
And we are unafraid of the future and its innovations driven by this TAX/ETS
Goodonya Aussie