Against all the odds the PM has legislated to impose a price on carbon (a task attempted without success by four previous political leaders). This was a considerable achievement. However, the Opposition leader has 'pledged in blood' (!) to repeal this legislation as soon as he achieves office.
In the meantime the PM has had to give up on her plan to maintain off-shore processing of asylum-seekers arriving here by boat, after the High Court ruled this processing illegal. The Opposition refused to support new legislation to empower executive government to maintain off-shore processing, even though they support off-shore processing too. Not sure who failed here.
We will have to wait to see the repercussions of the actions of the PM and the Opposition leader his week.
But if the Opposition is elected to government in 2013, it would appear that the PM's carbon pricing legislation will be repealed, rendering today's achievement meaningless. But an Opposition victory on this matter could prove to be messy and difficult to realise and will bring with it its own painful, political price. Perhaps we will see new tax slogans appear, as the compensation for the costs of the clean energy legislation are withdrawn.
And could it be that, if the Opposition comes to government, it too may have to embrace some sort of 'Malaysian solution' as the only off-shore processing option available to them to stop the boats in the face of the inevitable court challenges to Nauru?
Pyrrhic victories all round this week, except for the asylum-seekers, of course.
In the meantime the PM has had to give up on her plan to maintain off-shore processing of asylum-seekers arriving here by boat, after the High Court ruled this processing illegal. The Opposition refused to support new legislation to empower executive government to maintain off-shore processing, even though they support off-shore processing too. Not sure who failed here.
We will have to wait to see the repercussions of the actions of the PM and the Opposition leader his week.
But if the Opposition is elected to government in 2013, it would appear that the PM's carbon pricing legislation will be repealed, rendering today's achievement meaningless. But an Opposition victory on this matter could prove to be messy and difficult to realise and will bring with it its own painful, political price. Perhaps we will see new tax slogans appear, as the compensation for the costs of the clean energy legislation are withdrawn.
And could it be that, if the Opposition comes to government, it too may have to embrace some sort of 'Malaysian solution' as the only off-shore processing option available to them to stop the boats in the face of the inevitable court challenges to Nauru?
Pyrrhic victories all round this week, except for the asylum-seekers, of course.
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