Ben Quin A Tasmanian Pilot Study for Australia’s Adjustment to a Carbon Capped Economy
Both major parties are committed to setting an interim carbon cap in the course of the next Federal Parliament and establishing a National Carbon Trading Market. The Prime Minister has warned that this will be the most significant economic adjustment that Australia has ever attempted. Given that the cost of making this adjustment in Australia is expected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars, it seems sensible to consider undertaking a pilot study of all proposed technical, economic and financial systems in Tasmania first.
I AM calling on the Federal Government to launch a pilot study of Australia’s preferred emissions trading framework in Tasmania, before introducing the framework into the whole Australian economy.
With its relative separation from the remainder of the Australian economy, together with its size and diversity, Tasmania’s economy is capable of providing a fair indication of results. On the other hand, it is not so big an economy that it cannot be buffered from unforeseen adverse impacts that may occur in the study.
The pilot study design could also be proposed as a study to which other countries could contribute.
Both major parties are committed to setting an interim carbon cap in the course of the next Federal Parliament and establishing a National Carbon Trading Market. The Prime Minister has warned that this will be the most significant economic adjustment that Australia has ever attempted.
Given that the cost of making this adjustment in Australia is expected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars, it seems sensible to consider undertaking a pilot study of all proposed technical, economic and financial systems in Tasmania first.
Planning should start immediately. I am calling for a budget of $2 billion from the Commonwealth to support the pilot study over the first 5 years. This would transform Tasmania into a world model of a future economy.
Once Tasmania achieved the first interim cap, it would again move ahead in a second phase study towards achieving cap two, whilst the remainder of Australia moved to cap one.
There is also an element of risk for Tasmania of course. But if Tasmania can’t achieve the cap, then Australia will have no chance of doing so and nor will the world. It is time we stepped to the crease.
Ben Quin is Independent Candidate for Lyons.
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