And black is white

The Commonwealth Government claimed at the G20 meeting last weekend that Australia has no fossil fuel subsidies that would fall within the scope of the G20 agreement to phase out such subsidies.

Former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, committed at the G20 leaders’ meeting in Pittsburgh last September to prepare implementation plans and timelines for phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. The Australian Government has since worked to redefine fossil fuel subsidies so as to avoid any commitment to action at home.

“Instead of denying that Australia has any inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, we should be investing those billions of dollars of wasted taxpayers’ money in climate solutions that will improve our lives,” said Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne.

Although Australia has limited subsidies for exploration and production of fossil fuels, there remain billions of dollars of subsidies each year for the consumption of fossil fuels, including the fuel tax credit, fringe benefits tax concession for motor vehicle use and much more.

“Within its first few days, the Gillard Government signed a deal to export brown coal to Vietnam and then helped to undermine what had been a promising international agreement to phase out subsidies that encourage the production and use of polluting fossil fuels.

“Who does the Australian government think it is kidding by engaging in a game of definitions? Take away the fuel tax credit for the miners and see if they think they have lost a subsidy.

“This is not an auspicious start. Australia is not among the world’s worst offenders with fossil fuel subsidies, but we cannot seriously claim that, just because our subsidies encourage use rather than production, we have no work to do.

“If instead of paying billions of dollars each year to encourage miners, loggers and people with company cars to use more fuel, we invested in alternative fuels, electric cars, public transport and cycleways, we could make a big dent in our greenhouse pollution at no net cost.

“Prime Minister Gillard should make a break with the past on climate action and come and talk to the Greens. We have plenty of ideas that we are keen to share with her government, from a carbon tax to an energy efficiency target scheme. Now is the time to start working together to get real climate action.”

The document that shows Australia’s claim to the G20 can be seen here