Friday, June 10, 2011

The paradox of prosperity

David Hetherington

Despite the booming economy, most Australians aren’t feeling so positive about Labor's recent spate of progressive political reforms

At the recent Progressive Governance conference in Oslo, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg’s concluding remarks brought a wry smile to the faces of the Australian delegates. Pressed on challenges of a green economy, Stoltenberg said: “It’s quite simple, really - you adopt the ‘polluter pays’ principle and put a price on carbon.”

If only it were so easy in Australia. Putting a price on carbon remains an existential challenge for Julia Gillard’s Labor Government. While the government remains resolute in its commitment to carbon pricing, it is under siege from big business and the conservative media, and is foundering in the opinion polls.

Read full story here

No comments:

Post a Comment