[Vision2020] 5/27/2012 Sydney Morning Herald: "Pensioners receive their first carbon price compensation..."

[Ted Moffett]

I was listening to Radio Australia last night, via ye olde short wave,
and much to my surprise, I heard that Australia continues with its
plan to tax carbon emissions and offset the cost increases to
consumers of goods and services related to fossil fuels, so that many
will actually come out ahead financially, it is claimed.

The Sydney Morning Herald article below indicates carbon tax
compensation is starting before the carbon tax starts in July.

The "Clean Energy Future" plan is decades long to transition Australia
away from fossil fuels towards non-carbon energy souces, and can be
researched at this website: http://www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au/

I wonder if the fact we don't often hear serious discussion of a plan
such as this here in the US, a plan where taxes or fees on fossil
fuels are distributed to citizens to financially assist them in the
transition away from CO2 emitting fossil fuels, to promote alternative
energy, is because this might actually appeal to voters?  Fossil fuel
industries do not want that!  Instead, a picture of financial burden
for citizens is painted as the outcome of legislating regulation of
fossil fuel carbon emissions.
------------------------------------
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/pensioners-to-get-carbon-tax-compensation-20120527-1zcom.html

Pensioners to get carbon tax compensation May 27, 2012 - 2:34PM

Pensioners will receive their first carbon price compensation on Monday.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says single pensioners will receive a
one-off payment of $250 and couples $380. The amounts apply to full
and part pensions.

"This assistance is there to help people with the flow-through impact
of putting a price on carbon," Ms Gillard told reporters in Canberra
on Sunday.

>From March next year, single pensioners will receive an extra $338
each year, paid at the same time as their normal pension. Couples will
receive an extra $510.

Ms Gillard said millions of pensioners will be better off.

Compensation worth $707 million will be paid to pensioners before the
carbon price starts on July
------------------------------------------
Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett