Political vulnerability of Australian emission reduction policies
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2013
Authors
Lundberg, D.B.
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International Journal of Climate Change: Impacts and Responses, The, 2013; 4(3):133-146
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Abstract
The effects of issue framing in Australian federal politics on the implementation and durability of Australia's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) are examined. Australian carbon pricing legislation established an ETS, with a fixed price from july 2012 until market pricing starts in2015. Australia's ETS is to be linked to the EU's ETS between 2015 and 2018. Despite majority public acceptance that climate change is important, major negative shifts in public opinion followed policy and personnel changes in the Government and Opposition, and strong populist campaigning by the current Opposition Leader Mr Abbott, with media reinforcement. Mr Abbott's populist issue framing made carbon pricing and the Prime Minister very unpopular. Mr Abbott's issue framing and weighty business opposition contributed to recently elected conservative state governments closing climate change agencies and ending alternative energy programs. Mr Abbott is committed to abolishing carbon pricing if his conservative coalition is elected to government. However, the previously high probability of massive electoral defeat of the federal government by the conservative coalition is changing to a more open contest, as Mr Abbott's issue framing has become less credible. The durability of Australia's ETS may be a major issue in, and possibly beyond, the next federal election.
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Copyright 2013 Common Ground, David Bruce Lundberg