Business community breathes easier over CPRS stalling
2 December
The Queensland business community has today expressed a collective sigh of relief over the Senate's blocking of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) legislation.
Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland (CCIQ) has consistently urged the Federal Parliament to delay any implementation of a CPRS until after the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit and further global legislative certainty.
CCIQ Director David Goodwin said while business acknowledged it had a responsibility to minimise the environmental impact of its activities, the reality was that CPRS was little more than a multi billion dollar new tax that would decrease business competitiveness and the incentive to invest and provide jobs.
"Business stood to lose from an ill-conceived and hastily implemented CPRS with Queensland in particular facing the greatest impact," Mr Goodwin said.
"Fortunately the risk of Australia damaging the international competitiveness of its businesses (both import-competing and exporting) has been averted. The prospect of at least a 24% increase in electricity prices has also been stemmed.
"It is imperative that any future introduction of major greenhouse gas reduction measures, such as the proposed CPRS, is timed to coincide with the introduction of comparable measures by Australia's major international competitors," he said.
Special polls conducted by CCIQ showed that businesses regarded it as futile to implement an Australian CPRS until global competitors agree on their own measures to limit the affects of climate change.
"Australia must look before it leaps," Mr Goodwin said.
CCIQ has been crucially involved in lobbying the Coalition on this issue including forwarding to Coalition Senators and MHRs:
- CCIQ Submissions to the Senate Select Committee Inquiries on Climate Change
- Snap poll data confirming that 85% of businesses want the Federal Government to hold off to after Copenhagen.
- Circulation of an advertisement urging delay, keepqueenslandworking.com.au
- Correspondence with official CCIQ policy on CPRS forwarded to Leader of the Federal Opposition and all Queensland Coalition members.
- Special circular urging CCIQ members to contact their local Politician on CPRS.
- Commissioning comprehensive Australia wide Galaxy Poll Research on CPRS confirming changing community perceptions of the CPRS.
"The blocking of this legislation gives policy makers and stakeholders an opportunity to look at CCIQ's concerns and to debate the merits and operation of a tax on carbon emissions rather than a scheme railroaded through the bottom line of business," he said.
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