Climate Report "An Assault On Democracy" Says Tony Abbott Of Oz Opposition

[hatrack]

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In his report, Professor Garnaut proposed the establishment of an independent committee to set Australia's carbon emission reduction levels -- a proposal that could break the deadlock preventing Labor from winning Greens' support for the tax.

Mr Abbott seized on the proposal, warning it would put the power to set tax rates out of the hands of accountable politicians.

"There is a developing democratic deficit here," he said. "First of all the Prime Minister wasn't upfront with the Australian public before the election. Now the idea that taxes in this country should effectively be set by people who are outside the parliament, and who are not accountable to the people, I think, is just odd. "This just goes to show how out of control the government is on this whole climate change question."

Later, the Opposition Leader continued his attack in question time, noting that the report said: "Australian households will ultimately bear the full cost of a carbon price".

EDIT

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate-report-an-assault-on-democracy-says-abbott/story-fn59niix-1226066768749

[enough]

1. We'll probably be hearing more and more of this in the next few years. (nt)