As Labor, Green and independent MPs celebrated the tax passing through Parliament's Lower House yesterday, the Herald Sun can reveal businesses have already been caught ripping consumers off with price gouges in its name.
The Prime Minister heralded the win as a historic moment in the fight against climate change.
But Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the nation had been betrayed "with a kiss" - and gave a "pledge in blood" to repeal the carbon tax if he became PM.
Meanwhile, the consumer watchdog is gearing up for a carbon tax blitz to protect consumers.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims revealed some taxi drivers had already been caught trying to add a "carbon levy" to fares, while a few companies were being probed for price rises that were "just silly".
Mr Sims said the ACCC would launch a nationwide campaign and issue detailed guidelines showing what price rises would and would not be allowed.
"If anyone is putting up prices now, they're way ahead of the game," he told the Herald Sun.
"We've had a few potential cases of people saying things that are just silly, and reports of taxi drivers adding a 'carbon levy'.
If people are making claims that price rises have been caused by the carbon tax, they must be able to substantiate them."
The ACCC has been given $12.8 million to play the role of carbon cop and Mr Sims said it would make sure consumers were not ripped off by dodgy businesses wrongly blaming the carbon tax for price rises.
After 40 hours of debate and speeches by 125 of the 150 Lower House MPs, independents Rob Oakeshott, Andrew Wilkie and Tony Windsor and Green Adam Bandt voted with Labor to pass the 19 bills associated with the carbon tax.
It now needs final approval from the Senate next month, which has been guaranteed by the Greens, meaning it will begin on July 1 next year.
A jubilant Prime Minister Julia Gillard embraced and kissed many of her ministers after the legislation was passed by two votes.
"This is a significant day for the Australian nation, not only for Australians today but for the generations of children to come, who will live in a cleaner environment as a result of today's legislation," she said.
It will impose a tax starting at $23 a tonne on the 500 biggest polluters.
Electricity prices are tipped to rise by 10 per cent but overall living costs by just 0.7 per cent.
Households will receive tax cuts and welfare increases to compensate and the Government claims low-income families will be better off.
Ms Gillard said calls to delay the carbon tax would cost $5 billion and that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott would be "marooned by the tide of history".
Mr Abbott said the PM would be haunted by breaking her election promise not to have a carbon tax.
"This Prime Minister shouldn't just say sorry, she should resign," he said.
"We have witnessed the unseemly spectacle of government ministers celebrating a betrayal. They celebrated their betrayal with a kiss."
Mr Abbott stepped up his promise to repeal the tax, saying it was "a pledge in blood - this tax will go".
Greens leader Bob Brown said: "This is a great big green day for Australia."
About 85 mostly middle-aged anti-carbon tax protesters were thrown out of Parliament for repeatedly interrupting Ms Gillard during question time by chanting "no mandate, democracy is dead".
heraldsun.com.au 13 Oct 2011
Another Consumer Rip Off, supported by the government, but an overseeing (spineless) watchdog will see that goodness and fairness prevails.
Just like after the introduction of the GST, prices have skyrocketed, and the government pledged that it will see that the perpetrators will get caught.
Not so in reality.
Julia Gillard is a Prime Minister elected in a fraudulent manner, together with her false statements concerning the (non) introduction of Carbon Tax.
There will be no public inquiry or Royal Commission into the bribery of parliamentarians by Gillard for their votes.
Another example of how politicians elect each other and not the masses as it is lead to believed.
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