Australians will pay $77 million per week in carbon taxes, while Europe with the 30 most green countries pays just one third of that, according to the Mineral Council of Australia.
“Australia’s carbon tax starts generating $77.3 million per week from today. New figures from the Centre for International Economics show that Europe’s emissions trading scheme — which covers 30 nations — has generated $23m per week so far in 2012.”
Wholesale electricity prices have stepped up by $21-25MWh (roughly doubling) overnight across the three largest states – apparently $2 more than was expected.
The ACCI points out the contradiction in sending a price signal but intimidating anyone who dares to say how big that signal is.
THE Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has taken a swipe at the consumer watchdog, accusing it of intimidating commercial operations and trying to mask the cost impact of the carbon tax on business.
ACCI’s director of economics and industry policy, Greg Evans, said yesterday the purpose of the carbon tax was to introduce a price signal into the market, but the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission was trying to prevent businesses from attributing increases to the impost.
“It’s basically saying to business: don’t attribute price rises to the carbon tax, otherwise we’ll come after you,” he said. “Wasn’t one of the whole points of this that you are actually trying to send a price signal? [The Australian]
Companies can incur fines of $1.1 million per breach and private entities could pay $220,000 per breach if found guilty of deceptive and misleading conduct under the Australian Consumer Law.
Flashback to all those signs I wrote up when we first heard we could be forced to pay a $1.1million fine for overestimating the effect of The Carbon Tax on our prices.
Shop owners — do feel free to plagiarize ad lib. No copyright on those images.
From Speedy:
Don’t waste your money –
that’s the government’s job
***
Our prices have not risen.
Your standard of living has fallen.
***
No planets were saved in the collection of this tax.
Joe V wrote in comments:
“Any impression our prices have risen by 15% due to the Carbon Tax
is an illusion, caused by threat of a $1.1million fine.”
Geoff Sherrington pointed out that the law appears to apply to businesses, and it’s likely the ACCC (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission) can not investigate individuals. (I am not a lawyer etc etc).