Opposition Leader Tony Abbott had demanded he be given equal TV air time immediately after the Prime Minister addresses the nation about the planned carbon tax on Sunday night.

Julia Gillard is due to reveal the details of the carbon tax at lunchtime on Sunday, with an address to the nation filmed by the ABC to be broadcast at 6.30pm.

News bosses at commercial networks Seven and Nine were initially hostile to a request from the government to consider broadcasting the feed, but were reportedly overruled by their network chiefs yesterday. Ten and Sky will also broadcast the five-minute address.

In Brisbane today, Mr Abbott said he should be given air time on the same night for a response.

"If the Prime Minister is going to be given free air time for what is, in effect, a party political broadcast, obviously the opposition should get equal time and they should get equal time at the same time as the Prime Minister," he told reporters.

A spokesman for the Opposition Leader said the Coalition was seeking a response "immediately after the Prime Minister has finished".

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/abbott-demands-immediate-carbon-tax-reply-20110708-1h5ss.html#ixzz1RUfzMD7k

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Gus: it is my view that the Prime Minister needs to have the right of response after Tony's nonsense, as well... Or may be all the channels should transmit Tony's proposal of a carbon tax...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPpQisoZqx4

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckcH0Wrmy74&NR=1

The Greens, fresh from their monumental own goal in sinking the Rudd-Turnbull trading scheme, are not in nearly as strong a negotiating position as the more excitable media suggests. Yes, Gillard needs the Greens, but they need her as much – under a coalition government, Brown & Co would be reduced to an occasional blocking vote in the Senate.

Without influence and with awareness of their policy failures turning into futility, the fate of the Australian Democrats could loom. Meanwhile, the three key lower house independents are hardly dark green warriors. Radicalism is not an option.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/dont-waste-your-energy-on-the-carbon-tax-20110708-1h68k.html#ixzz1RUpYfwOb

Wilkie backs carbon tax laws

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says he will support new laws to introduce a carbon tax and emissions trading scheme.

The government needs the support of the independents and Greens to get its laws through Parliament and will release the full details on Sunday.

"I've now had meetings with the Prime Minister and with the Climate Change Minister Greg Combet and I am satisfied the government has got the settings right," Mr Wilkie told reporters in Canberra today.

"And in fact I think they've done a very good job and they've got a good story to sell on Sunday."

Mr Wilkie said he was satisfied people on low incomes would not be out of pocket and high emissions trade-exposed industries would be treated fairly.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/wilkie-backs-carbon-tax-laws-20110708-1h68b.html#ixzz1RUref5bw

Hi Gus,

I don't think we need a national broadcast just to understand the Mad Monk's position?

Even if he had something more substantial to say than 'NO', I would still deny him a right of reply, given his past demonstrated contempt for the Australian people & our democracy by refusing to respond to the government's Budget.

I think he should go & play with himself, by himself.

Cheers,

JR

 

 

‪Mr Negativity: Day in the Life of Tony Abbott‏

Yes John. Tony should shut up or be shut up... But the proprietors of media are dependent on the goodwill from the big oils, big mining and big business... And the ABC is caught in the bind of having to broadcast 50 per cent truth and 50 per cent porkies. Thus no-one in the media can tell Tony — who has aligned himself with this crowd of big bucks with little care for the planet, under the banner of "climate chance is crap" — to go and fly a kite... But should the media people have two bob of decency they should — as I have mentioned before — broadcast the fact that Tony was in favour of a carbon tax when Rudd and Turnbull had forged an agrement on an ETS...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPpQisoZqx4

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckcH0Wrmy74&NR=1

PLANS for a $3.2 billion renewable energy agency were unveiled today, with the Government conspicuously deferring to the Greens on announcement honours.

Greens Deputy Leader Christine Milne held a press conference in Canberra, critical of Labor, to outline the project saying the independent agency would replace “a mess of badly designed schemes run as photo opportunities''.

Meanwhile, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson stayed in the background and simply released a joint statement outlining the proposed Australian Renewable Energy Agency
(ARENA).

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott immediately labelled it a “remarkable spectacle'' which showed who was really running the Government.

The arrangement is being seen as confirmation that the Government traded off massive investment in alternative power sources to get Green concessions on a starting carbon price and on protection of polluting industries.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/liberals-all-fired-up-over-32-billion-green-energy-scheme/story-e6frfkw9-1226090637270#ixzz1RW6zwANE
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Isn't this great? The government is governed with a reasonably finely tuned Labor/Green/independent outfit that gets things done and all Mr No can complain about is that the Greens are ruling the roost... Who cares? The country is getting something that it was in need of... Things are getting done, mister... That's what government is all about. In this case we need to get moving on the environment-front, neglected for so long by the Liberals (conservatives) and their cosy mates the Nationals (conservatives with Akubras). But then this news is coming from the same stable as the News of the World... Though there is the punch:

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The renowned climate change sceptic has had a turbulent visit to our shores, with a string of appearances cancelled, an on-air dust up with Adam Spencer, and a reported order from Fairfax to remove the title ‘Lord’ when referring to his Monckness.

This morning, Monckton told the taxpayer-funded public broadcaster (please do note the irony here) that he had wind of a plot to shut him up. He told Adelaide breakfast radio duo Matthew Abraham and David Bevan:

"What is happening is that several months ago we got wind of a concerted attempt by, effectively, agents of the government - I’m not going to say that they’re paid or employed by the government but they’re people who will do the government’s bidding because they support the government and therefore support the carbon tax - ringing around and trying to disrupt our venues by saying look there is no possible case against a carbon tax, the climate is a terribly serious problem, we’re all doomed unless a carbon tax is brought in therefore you mustn’t allow anyone like Lord Monckton to come and give the opposite points of view."

An equally plausible ‘plot’ is that Monckton is himself the witting or unwitting agent of the government. He is out there kicking own goals for the climate change sceptic movement. In the same way euthanasia advocates were concerned that the sometimes-overly-enthusiastic Philip Nitschke was damaging their campaign, those who don’t think climate change is real and those who are opposed to a carbon tax should be concerned at who is getting airplay for their issues.

He comes across as a belligerent, glass-jawed, plummy voiced conservative who is genetically inclined to distrust all science.

http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/oh-lordy-monckton-its-a-government-plot/

 

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Yep... and when Ross Garnaut was briefing scientists recently there were some loonies brandishing placards pushing that Garnaut was a nazi...