I think that we can be certain that both Brother Number One and his Climate change minister Penny W(r)ong now know that their emissions trading scheme is doomed to fail at the senate hurdle, as both the opposition and the minor parties will not let it pass.
THE Federal Government has quietly scrapped a multimillion-dollar advertising blitz to promote its controversial emissions trading scheme amid widespread criticism that its plan is too complex and will do little to tackle global warming.
Documents given to The Sunday Age reveal a taxpayer-funded climate change call centre was also canned, after receiving an average of just 16 calls a day at a cost of $52 each.
The Government’s campaign — “Think Climate, Think Change” — has already cost millions of dollars, with ads run on television and in magazines.
But documents from the Department of Climate Change show that a second phase of the campaign, which was to explain how emissions trading would work, has been dumped and “no further advertising is being planned”.
The documents, provided on notice to a Senate committee, show the Government has already spent $8.1 million buying advertising, $476,000 on creative agency fees and advertising production costs, $149,000 on market research, $13,000 on website development, and $83,000 on the call centre.
About $8.8 million has been spent out of $13.9 million that was set aside, leaving almost $5.1 million unspent.
The question is how far will Brother Number One be willing to push this issue? Will he for instance want to go to the people to test their faith in the Warminista liturgy?
An interesting one to watch.
Cheers Comrades
Ah a double dissolution mayhaps. Well folks old Phill is a man to put his money where his mouth is.If Talculm pulls on/triggers a double dissolution, Rudd will end up with not only retaining government, he will get everything he wants, passed in the Senate.
If somebody wants to name the bank, my money is good for a bet.
Of course that is if Talculm still leads the party at the next election, dollar sweets is a monty to have a go at the leadership sooner or later, the man is destined for higher office, well that what he thinks anyway.
Iain I am prepared to accept that the government is spending a lot of money, but advertising! surely you jest? The Howard government made this an art form, who could forget the fridge magnets, the work choices advertising campaign that the good Dr Goebbels himself would have been proud of.I could go on, what was it Howard said “Public information” I loved it at the time, I mean if you are going to bullshit, you have to at least make it plausible.
Phill
The point of my post was to point out that the government has cut short its advertising campaign and as I see it this is signifcant for two reasons . Firstly the campaign has been very poorly received by the public and secondly because they Know very well that they are not going to get the ETS up in the senate.
Although rejecting this bill could be a potential trigger for a double dissolution(if it is defeated after being presented for a second time) but I don’t think that it would be the sort of issue that Brother Number One would want to fight an election on.
“but I don’t think that it would be the sort of issue that Brother Number One would want to fight an election on.”
Iain, I think Rudd just may call an early election, but I will agree it is not going to be the platform Rudd will fight on.
But if I have misunderstood you, apologies.
I may look like a cabbage as they say but I am not green, he will use what ever pretext he needs to win.This, they all do.
If dollar sweets rolls Talculm, it will be game on, I am more sure of that than G.W.
I’m sure you’ve heard by now Iain, he’s pissed his pants on this.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25426410-601,00.html
Rudd lied and the greenies will cry now. He’s only delayed it for a year now, but i think this is dead in the water, as rudd runs out of money and taxes have to be jacked up to pay the money that he pissed away, the last thing he’ll do is screw the voters over with this crap.
The real truth of emissions trading (ie that we would all end up paying more out of our pockets) was never a politically survivable truth. All to easy to be warm and fuzzy and vote in Labor to save us from the spectre of global warming but the truth had to hit home eventually. A Global financial crash has highlighted the issue a bit more. Scepticism is no longer such a Pariah. The next election will be interesting.