ACTU President Ged Kearney said that Professor Ross Garnaut’s address at the National Press Club today confirmed that hundreds of thousands of jobs would result from a price on carbon if the right industry settings were in place.
“As in any major economic or industrial change, job security is the number one priority for Australian unions in the development of a pricing mechanism for pollution,” Ms Kearney said.
“In the development of a carbon pricing mechanism, unions will fight to ensure Australian industry remains globally competitive and no jobs are lost as a result of a price on pollution.
“Heavy industry will require transitional assistance to adapt, and some form of assistance will be necessary for exporters and import-competing sectors.
“As the Prime Minister said last night, we have a choice between setting Australia on the path to a high skill, low-carbon future, or leaving our economy to decline and be left behind by the rest of the world.
“A price on pollution will help to unlock billions of dollars of investment in clean energy and renewables but an industry package must also be developed to fund research and development, training to assist workers to learn new skills.
“Professor Garnaut also identifies that under the scheme low and middle income earners will not be worse off or out of pocket because they will be compensated to mitigate any price rises associated with the transition.
“His address also identified that we need to act now to minimise higher costs in the future.
“The transition to a low carbon economy will mean a massive mobilisation in skills and training – both to equip new workers as well as to ensure that the three million workers who currently work in these affected industries are supported through the process.
“Unlike Tony Abbott’s determination to be a spoiler against the national interest, unions will engage closely with the government on these issues to ensure that the scheme is implemented in a way that both protects existing jobs and creates new ones.”
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