The Government on Mon 14.7.2014, re-introduced a package of 8 Bills in the House of Reps to repeal the carbon tax. The Bills are:
- Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014;
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014;
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014;
- True Up Shortfall Levy (General) (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014;
- True Up Shortfall Levy (Excise) (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014;
- Customs Tariff Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014;
- Excise Tariff Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014; and
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2014.
The Carbon Tax Repeal Bills replace the 2013 Carbon Tax Repeal Bills [that] have been rejected twice by the Senate. The Government said the abolition of other carbon tax-related initiatives is to be done by other Bills that are not part of the above Carbon Tax Repeal Bills, namely:
- the abolition of the Climate Change Authority (CCA) through the Climate Change Authority (Abolition) Bill 2013 [No 2];
- the abolition of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (Abolition) Bill 2014; and
- the cancellation of carbon tax-related income tax cuts that were legislated to commence on 1 July 2015 through the Labor 2013-14 Budget Savings (Measures No 1) Bill 2014 [not yet introduced but understood as renamed from the Clean Energy (Income Tax Rates and Other Amendments) Bill 2013 [No 2] that had been defeated in the Senate].
In introducing the Bills, Environment Minister Greg Hunt said that, as agreed with the Palmer United Party, he would move amendments to supplement the Commission’s ability to ensure that consumers benefit from the repeal of the carbon tax. The Minister said the changes included in the Bills propose to:
- Ensure suppliers of regulated goods – electricity, natural gas and synthetic greenhouse gases – must pass on all cost savings.
- Impose a penalty on electricity and natural gas suppliers equal to 250% of any cost savings they do not pass on.
- Require electricity and natural gas retailers and bulk importers of synthetic greenhouse gases to inform the ACCC and customers about how they are passing on the amounts of cost savings.
Debate on the Second Reading of the 8 Bills was continuing in the House of Reps during 14 July 2014.
[LTN 133, 14/7/14]
Carbon tax repeal Bills passed by House of Reps
The Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014 was passed by the House of Reps on Mon 14.7.2014, with 48 Government amendments. Those amendments concern requirements for entities that sell electricity and natural gas to explain and substantiate how the carbon tax repeal affects their input costs and to ensure all the cost savings attributable to the carbon tax repeal are passed on to consumers. The other 7 Bills in the package were passed without amendment. All the Bills now move on to the Senate for debate.
[LTN 134, 15/7/14]
Carbon tax abolished – Bills pass Senate without amendment
The package of 8 Bills to abolish the carbon tax was this morning passed by the Senate without amendment and effectively awaits Royal Assent. The Bills are:
- Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014.
- True-up Shortfall Levy (General) (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014.
- True-up Shortfall Levy (Excise) (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014.
- Customs Tariff Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014.
- Excise Tariff Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014.
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014.
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014.
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2014.
[LTN 136, 17/7/14]
Carbon tax repeal Bills receive Royal Assent
The package of 8 Bills to abolish the carbon tax received Royal Assent Thur 17.7.2014:
- Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014 – Act No 83 of 2014.
- True-up Shortfall Levy (General) (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014 – Act No 84 of 2014.
- True-up Shortfall Levy (Excise) (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014 – Act No 85 of 2014.
- Customs Tariff Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014 – Act No 86 of 2014.
- Excise Tariff Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014 – Act No 87 of 2014.
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014 – Act No 88 of 2014.
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014 – Act No 89 of 2014.
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2014 – Act No 90 of 2014.
[LTN 137, 18/7/14]