Dinosaurs rolled out as carbon tax revisited in Senate

Model dinosaurs have been brought out at Parliament House ahead of the reintroduction of the government's carbon tax repeal bills this week.

dinosaur_canberra_climate_140622.jpg

The Climate Institute's John Connor flanked by dinosaur's at Parliament House in Canberra. (AAP)

It may by the current Senate's final hurrah, as its sits for one last week before the new senators take their place.

But even before it begins what amounts to a farewell lap, attention is focused squarely on the Senate that will replace it.

The Abbott government will on Monday reintroduce its carbon tax repeal laws into the parliament, in readiness for the new, more conservative upper house that take effect on July 7.

The legislation has already been knocked back once by Labor and Greens in the Senate, but the host of conservative crossbenchers are expected to pass the legislation.

"This week the government will bring the carbon tax repeal bills back to Parliament to get rid of this dodgy tax once and for all," Environment Minister Greg Hunt says.

While signature policies such as the carbon tax are expected to be waved through by the likes of the Palmer United Party, others such as the GP co-payment face continued resistance.

Assistant infrastructure minister Jamie Briggs is confident the new senators can be talked into supporting the co-payment and reform of universities fees - two changes opposed by the PUP.

"I'm not at all sure that the positions some of the new senators have outlined will necessarily be their position in a month's time," Mr Briggs told Sky News on Sunday.

"When they're in Canberra and they've had the discussions with the relevant ministers ... I'm very confident people will understand this is the right direction."

Environmentalists also had their minds turned to July 7, with the Climate Institute bringing two life-size dinosaur replicas to Parliament House in a last-ditch attempt to save the carbon tax.

'Dinosaurs' in parliament

"There are dinosaurs in politics and business who want to hold back progress," chief executive John Connor told reporters.

"This is an appeal to all parliamentarians, particularly the new senators, not to be rushed into a vote literally when they haven't even got their feet under their desks in parliament."

The carbon tax was working to slow emissions in Australia, he said.

"This is an appeal to all parliamentarians, particularly the new senators, not to be rushed into a vote literally when they haven't even got their feet under their desks in parliament."

Former Liberal leader and carbon tax advocate John Hewson said the repeal was the most important issue ever to go before federal parliament.

"We can't afford as a nation to get this wrong," he said.

He believed Prime Minister Tony Abbott had won a mandate to put the repeal to parliament, but some senators had different mandates.

The Senate has already rejected the carbon tax repeal once.

The government will reintroduce the legislation to parliament on Monday.




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Source: AAP


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