Rudd v. Gillard. What this means for the Transport Industry
As you’re likely be aware, there has been a huge shift in the Labor government today, with Julia Gillard announcing a poll for Monday 27th February to determine once and for all who will take Labor into the next election – Rudd or Gillard?
Opinions of what this says about Australian Politics aside, the question for us is, ‘What will this mean for the Transport Industry?‘
One of Prime Minister Gillard’s most unpopular policies is that of the carbon tax, which will take affect on 1 July 2012, with trucking companies not having to deal with a carbon tax for their heavy vehicles until 1 July 2014.
Regardless of the two year leniency, trucking companies aren’t happy and neither are many other businesses that will have to start paying tax this July. While Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard battle it out for leadership, their party’s popularity continues to decline.
The prediction is that this in-house-fighting will only further cripple Labor’s popularity.
On the other side of this upset is the LNP. Both LNP leader Tony Abbott and Queensland Premier candidate Campbell Newman have made no secret of their objection to a carbon tax being introduced in Australia.
In fact, when speaking of the upcoming 24 March Queensland state election, Tony Abbott said a vote for the LNP would act as a referendum on the carbon tax. By voting for LNP, a Queenslander would be saying “No” to the tax.
Campbell Newman has also said that if elected, he will do what he can to oppose the introduction of the tax, saying that the carbon tax is nothing but a way to of saying, “Sorry families, your cost of living just went up.”
So as members of the Labor party butt heads over who should run the show, it seems like the LNP is only getting more and more likable among voters. Given that, as a whole, the LNP opposes the carbon tax, could this mean that if they get into power we will see the last of the carbon tax?
There could be big change afoot, both on the Labor front and the issue of the carbon tax. Only time will tell.
What do you think of this whole political circus? Do you think it will bring about big change and only bring the LNP closer to victory? And do you think that will mean the carbon tax won’t be around for long? Share your thoughts in the comments below.