Ditching the carbon tax is seen by business as the number one priority that will lead to lower energy prices and restore Australia's competitiveness, a leading lobby group says.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief economist Greg Evans says the carbon tax, which the coalition government wants to scrap by June 30, 2014, has been a negative for both jobs and economic growth.
He also points to the assessment by the independent Parliament Budget Office, when costing the coalition's election promises, that scrapping the tax would provide a $1 billion growth dividend.
"Clearly there is a distinct economic benefit from the abandonment of the carbon tax," Mr Evans told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
Releasing the chamber's latest survey of investor confidence it showed that business taxes and government charges remain the biggest constraint on investment.
Mr Evans doesn't support an emissions trading scheme either, and says the government's direct action plan would be far less costly to business.
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