Prime minister, Julia Gillard, said today (February 24) plans were for a two-stage carbon price mechanism starting with a fixed price period for three to five years before moving to an emissions trading scheme.

The labour Government hopes to start its scheme in July 2012, however two previous drives have failed to get off the ground.

And Mrs Gillard faces the tricky task of getting the plans through, with a majority, in both houses of Australia’s Parliament to pass it into legislation this year.

Watch Mrs Gillard by clicking play below


As well as negotiating both houses of parliament the scheme will also be scrutinised by the multi-party climate change committee along with Non-Government Organisation (NGOs) and business roundtables on climate change in the coming months.

Mrs Gillard said: “A carbon price is a price on pollution. It is the cheapest and fairest way to cut pollution and build a clean energy economy. It is the right and necessary thing to do.”

She also pledged ‘every cent’ raised from the scheme will be used to:

·assist families with household bills.

·help businesses make the transition to a clean energy economy.

·tackle climate change and invest in a clean energy future.

Luke Walsh

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