FED:We won't miss out on innovation again: PM

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2011
FED:We won't miss out on innovation again: PM

CANBERRA, Aug 18 AAP - Prime Minister Julia Gillard will tell state and territory leaders
on Friday that she is determined not to miss out on another wave of innovation and the
nation will go ahead with a price on carbon.

Victorian premier Ted Baillieu will present a study at Friday's Council of Australian
Governments (COAG) meeting in Canberra, which shows the carbon tax will result in 23,000
fewer jobs in his state by 2015.

However, Ms Gillard said no one should be confused about this "so-called modelling".

"He has purported to model putting a price on carbon without factoring in any of the
billions of dollars of assistance to protect Australian jobs he knows are part of the
package," Ms Gillard told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

Ms Gillard had been viewing several stalls in Parliament House displaying different
types of clean energy technologies.

She said she would tell Mr Baillieu and other premiers the government would be putting
a price on carbon, that the economy would continue to grow, and that 1.6 million more
jobs would be created by 2020.

"We will insure our nation is part of the clean energy future," she said.

She said one person at the exhibition commented on how they and the country missed
out on an earlier wave of innovation.

"I'm absolutely determined that this nation doesn't miss out on the green energy jobs
of the future," he said.

Nationals Leader Warren Truss said Queensland Premier Anna Bligh should use the COAG
meeting to stand up for Queensland industry and jobs in regards to the carbon tax.

"She said on May 22 that she would make her decision on the basis of what is good for
Queensland," Mr Truss told reporters in Canberra.

"Well, she's got the details. She knows that Queensland will be worst affected of all
the states under the carbon tax and $250 billion will be ripped out of Queensland's income
as a result of this tax. So she must say no to the carbon tax."

Mr Truss said Ms Bligh should advise Queensland's federal MPs and senators to vote
against the carbon tax legislation.

AAP cb/bwl/jsh

KEYWORD: CLIMATE GILLARD

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