Australians are fearing for their lives. Even the most optimistic weather forecasts clearly show that the radioactive clouds from Japan might hit the northern coasts within a few days from now. That risky situation immediately triggered questions about the choice the current Australian government will have to bring forward. Labour Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who has been in office since June 2010, made an official statement through which she stated that ‘climate change is real’ and consequently that her plan for a carbon price is undoubtedly ‘the debate the nation needs to have’.
The PM’s speech was very ironically reported by Murdoch-owned daily paper The Australian in its March 16 website issue. Journalist Ben Packham reminded readers with the fact that Gillard’s predecessor from the same party, Kevin Rudd, abandoned any idea of emissions trading system, which cost him his prime ministership and paved the way for Gillard’s advent. The Australian Prime Minister is obviously in a very tricky situation, provided the fact she now has to come to terms with pushing forward a carbon tax, which would break her election promise since she stood her ground to refuse that solution.
Aussies will have to choose at short notice between a simple carbon tax and an ets, emissions trading system, but whether they can really afford to waste their time is highly questionnable, because clouds are moving fast these days.