Australia repeals controversial carbon tax
7/16/2014SYDNEY — Australia’s government has repealed a much-maligned carbon tax on the nation’s worst greenhouse gas polluters.
Thursday’s Senate vote to axe the tax ends two years of contention over a measure that became political poison for the lawmakers who imposed it.
The Senate voted 39 to 32 to repeal the 24.15 Australian dollar ($22.60) tax per metric ton of carbon dioxide that was introduced by the center-left Labor government in July 2012.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s conservative government rose to power last year on the promise of getting rid of the tax. Abbott assured voters that removing the measure would reduce household electricity bills.
The prime minister wants to replace the tax with a taxpayer-financed AU$2.55 billion fund to pay industry incentives to use cleaner energy.