Australians warming to carbon tax: Gillard

17 Jul 2012, 12:51 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Ms Gillard rejected a suggestion by a talkback caller that the carbon tax may not prove effective. (AAP)

Ms Gillard rejected a suggestion by a talkback caller that the carbon tax may not prove effective. (AAP)

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she swayed people at a Perth forum towards favouring the carbon tax.

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The carbon tax is not popular but Australians are warming to it, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

Ms Gillard fronted a "people's forum" debating the carbon tax in Perth on Monday night and swayed many attendees to her point of view, according to event organisers The West Australian.

The newspaper said 30 per cent backed the tax before the debate began but by the end of the hour-long session, 49 per cent said they were in favour of it.

Ms Gillard said the debate was fast and furious.

"I'm under no illusions ... that carbon pricing is not popular," she told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

"But I participated in a forum last night that showed clearly you can change people's minds about carbon pricing when people get the opportunity to talk it through and have all of the facts at their disposal, and then the fear campaign falls away."

Ms Gillard rejected a suggestion by a talkback caller that the carbon tax may not prove effective.

"It will work and it will make a difference to carbon emissions," she said.

"It will make a difference of 160 million tonnes (of carbon pollution) in 2020 - that's the equivalent of getting 45 million cars off the road and I personally have spoken to business people about how they are going to transform their businesses and cut the amount of carbon pollution they generate because it's now priced."

Asked whether enterprise migration agreements could have been sold better to unions, Ms Gillard said she could understand why some Australians were worried about them.

"I can understand people being concerned about Australian jobs," she said.

"I understand the concern that comes when mining employers are there screaming out `we need more labour, we need more people coming to work for us' but at the same time, people who live here know a kid who lives in their street who can't get an apprenticeship and can't get a chance."

She said the federal government's focus was on skills and training.

"Even with all of that, we will need some foreign labour but I think it is the right thing to do to look to create opportunities for Australians first."

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Your Comments

Warming Against Carbon Tax - Former Labour Voter

Steph - from Magill, Adelaide, 10 months ago

I can't believe Gillard would make the statement that people are warming towards the carbon tax. Australian voters were promised by Gillard that there would be no carbon tax if she was elected Prime Minister, and let's not forget, Labour was NOT voted in to office, but rather, they sold their souls making dirty underhanded deals with independents to form a government. Australians said "NO" to a carbon tax, as they will at the next election when Labour will most certainly be ousted. Vote Liberal.

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