Promise to axe carbon tax might be delayed two years

A Deutsche Bank report says Tony Abbott’s promise to repeal the carbon tax if he wins the next election might not happen for over two years.

The carbon tax is due to start on July 1.

Deutsche Bank research analyst Tim Jordan says each step in the constitutional process takes time, according to Fairfax.

“In practice it could take eight to 14 months for the repeal bills to pass, with risks of further delay at each stage of that process,” said Jordan.

”On that timetable, the earliest a repeal bill could pass after an August 2013 election would be April 2014 – 22 months after the carbon price comes into force,” he said, according to the Brisbane Times.

Assuming the Coalition wins the next election, but is not given control of the upper house, Labor and the Greens are unlikely to repeal the price on carbon, leaving Abbott with the option of calling a double dissolution, or a fresh election affecting all seats of Parliament.

Jordan says only three of Australia’s six double dissolution elections have returned the sitting government, and only one out of six has given the Government control of both houses of Parliament.

Mark Butler Minister for Mental Health and Ageing said promises to repeal complicated laws are difficult to achieve.

”Well, we tried roll-back on the GST; it didn’t work. This is the mother of all roll-back campaigns,” Butler told Q&A on ABC television this week.