Australians back carbon pricing, want more action on climate change
Three years on from Tony Abbott's successful campaign to "axe" the carbon tax, new figures show a significant majority of Australians now support putting a price on carbon emissions.
Key points
63 per cent of Australians want carbon pricing back.
74 per cent support more government action on climate change.
The data has prompted former Liberal leader John Hewson to cast doubt on the political truism that former Liberal leader Tony Abbott's campaign to "axe" the carbon tax won him the last election.
Data from the ABC's Vote Compass shows 63 per cent of Australians support a price on carbon emissions, up from 50 per cent during the 2013 election.
The results also show three-quarters of Australians want the government to do more to tackle climate change.
Mr Hewson, who broke ranks with his party in 2011 by supporting an emissions trading scheme, said the electorate had been ahead of government positions on climate change for 15 years.
"I know the party feels they won the last election on the carbon tax but the bottom line to me is they won the election as a vote against the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government," Mr Hewson told the ABC.
Vote Compass: Australians back carbon pricing, want more action on climate change - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Three years on from Tony Abbott's successful campaign to "axe" the carbon tax, new figures show a significant majority of Australians now support putting a price on carbon emissions.
Key points
63 per cent of Australians want carbon pricing back.
74 per cent support more government action on climate change.
The data has prompted former Liberal leader John Hewson to cast doubt on the political truism that former Liberal leader Tony Abbott's campaign to "axe" the carbon tax won him the last election.
Data from the ABC's Vote Compass shows 63 per cent of Australians support a price on carbon emissions, up from 50 per cent during the 2013 election.
The results also show three-quarters of Australians want the government to do more to tackle climate change.
Mr Hewson, who broke ranks with his party in 2011 by supporting an emissions trading scheme, said the electorate had been ahead of government positions on climate change for 15 years.
"I know the party feels they won the last election on the carbon tax but the bottom line to me is they won the election as a vote against the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government," Mr Hewson told the ABC.
Vote Compass: Australians back carbon pricing, want more action on climate change - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
