Majority want to tax polluters: Galaxy poll

A new poll undertaken by Galaxy Research and released by the Greens found that the majority of Australians support "taxing the big polluters" rather than to "pay money to polluters to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions."

The question was framed to compare the Government's proposed carbon price with the opposition parties "direct action" policy that would subsidise polluters to reduce carbon emissions.


The telephone poll of 1,036 people across Australia, conducted for the Australian Greens on 18-20 March as part of a Galaxy Omnibus found that 58% believe it better to tax the big polluters, and just 17% consider it more effective to pay incentives to the big polluters as a way of encouraging them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

"Building a cleaner, healthier 21st century economy for all of us means we need to cut pollution and make clean, renewable energy cheaper, rather than prop up the old ways of the carbon-intensive past," Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said. "Even worse would be the walloping for Australians proposed by Tony Abbott who has a much more expensive alternative which would cost $30 billion over the next ten years, and cost the average household right across this country $720 per annum by 2020," Senator Brown said.

The question asked of poll respondents was:

Thinking now about some federal issues. All sides of Australian politics agree that there is a need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help address climate change. Do you believe that the best way to achieve this is to tax the big polluters or pay money to polluters to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions?

Source:

* Greens MPs media release March 22, 2011 - New poll shows overwhelming support for a polluters' tax - Brown