Tony Abbott says he'll call double dissolution if carbon tax isn't repealed by: Lanai Vasek From: The Australian March 25, 2012 12:28PM
TONY Abbott says he will call a double dissolution election if he is unable to repeal the carbon tax in government.
Speaking on Sky News's Australian Agenda program the Opposition Leader said the Australian public was "sick of governments which procrastinate on important policy commitments".
He said an incoming Coalition government would "move quickly" to repeal the carbon and mining taxes and restore effective border protection if they received a mandate at the next federal election to do so.
"I don't believe the Labor Party is going to commit suicide twice over the carbon tax. A Labor government which is decisively rejected by the public over the carbon tax is not going to persist with an electorally suicidal policy," Mr Abbott said.
"Having said that, if I'm wrong, if an incoming Coalition government can't get its carbon tax repeal legislation through the Senate, well, we will not hesitate to go to a double dissolution."
The Australian Greens have made it clear that they are absolutely wedded to the carbon tax and would not under any circumstances like to see it repealed.
The party holds the balance of power in the Senate and would have a critical role in blocking any repeal legislation.
A double dissolution is a procedure permitted under the Australian Consitution to resolve deadlocks between the House of Representatives and the Senate.
If both houses twice fail to agree on a piece of legislation the constitution allows the Governor-General to dissolve the House and the entire Senate and issue writs for an election in which every seat in the Parliament is contested.
Mr Abbott last week said the Queensland election would be a referendum on Labor's carbon tax and this morning declared the levy had an impact on Labor's landslide defeat.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...for-labor-abbott/story-fnbsqt8f-1226309390911
He said if the Coalition was to win federally it would have a mandate to repeal the carbon tax and if such a mandate was not respected, a double dissolution would be the only way to resolve the impasse.
"We've made a commitment to get rid of the carbon tax and we will get rid of it. One way or another, we will get rid of it," the Opposition Leader said.
Labor's carbon tax will come into place from July 1 this year and will be charged at $23 a tonne. It is due to move to an emissions trading scheme in 2015, with a floating price.