EU is in deep trouble.

US stocks have tumbled, their Job market is shaky.

Our stocks look grim, especially our miners, the life blood of our nation.

Another pay rise, just because times are tough, but appanently we are souring with less than 5% unemployment, which should mean there is no need for the rise, as anyone who wants a job, has one. Yea, right, pull the other one I say.

So, do you think labor are getting the message, that now is not the time to impose this huge tax on carbon, or a huge tax on our nations back bone.

I doubt it, but I remain optimistic.

What's happening to shares has nothing whatever to do with these taxes and everything to do with Europe and the US.
As for mining being our life blood, I think leeches would be a better analogy.
I say take away the miners's tax break on deisel.
If they don'like it, then let them go to another country.
Oh, wait, there is no country with as safe an operating environment or as low a tax regime as Australia.
I note that BP is selling its highly profitable mining operation in Russia.
Why? Because the environment has become so lawless.
Australia is still, and will remain so for the foreseeable future, the best, most profitable mining investment in the world.
Sadly that's truebecause the miners here get to screw we ordinary Australians out of our fair share
If the current crop of mining leeches, e.g. Rinehart and palmer refuse to play there are hundreds of investors ready in the wings with money to buy their mines.
So the can piss off and good riddance to them.
Anthony
http://www.observationpoint.com.au

<< So, do you think labor are getting the message, that now is not the time to impose this huge tax on carbon, or a huge tax on our nations back bone. >>

So when might be the right time for our government to take some tiny tentative steps towards weaning us off of our addiction to oil and starting on the long road towards a largely renewable energy regime and a sustainable society?

Or is this of no concern to you?

Rehctub, the trouble with those who are vehemently opposed to the carbon tax is that they are also vehemently opposed to anything that will change our mad rush towards the cliff. It is just one huge business-as-usual she’ll-be-right attitude with just no thought of what we are heading into.

If you really want this country to have a healthy future, say yes to a carbon tax, yes to much better returns from our mineral resources and no to high immigration, just for starters.

Ludwig,

I would be quite happy to pay an extra 10 % on my electricity bill IF it all went to rigorous research into carbon-capture technology AND was matched by an equivalent amount of electricity companies' income.

IF the bulk of the carbon taxes collected were directed in this way, I wouldn't object. But I don't see the point of collecting a tax from companies, allowing them to jack up the cost of electricity, giving the tax back to consumers, and creating yet another bureaucracy in the process.

Joe

The stock market gets the jitters and the country feels the effects.
What is going on in Europe, we have no control over.
Why should what is going on there effect us.
There is something not right about this stock market business. Because of the sentiments of investors, a company sinks or swims, without any input from the company.
There has to be some-sort of isolation required.
What this has to do with carbon tax, or ALP is far fetched.
The minimun wages needs to be upgraded from time to time, as living costs rise. Butch wants a slave trading scheme.

Fair enough Joe.

I’m all for ideas and debate on how we can make the carbon tax work more efficiently.

But I am totally opposed to the view that we shouldn’t have any form of carbon tax and no efforts to change our energy regime and that it is ok to continue with the same old business as usual methodology and maximised expansionism with no end in sight!

For all the shortcomings of the carbon tax, and there are a swathe of them, it is still a million times better than doing nothing.