Keating: Abbott's carbon 'tripe'

From ABC Lateline 14 July

Paul Keating: ... there is a view that the industries that may come out of this are things we kind of have to do. We have to clean up coal, we have to clean up water, we have to do this, we have to deal with nitrogenous fertilisers, we got to - as if they are a problem.
People should see them as the new industries. These are the new Silicone Valley industries. This is how the Chinese see them. You know I'm on the board of China Development Bank, which is the body which is basically growing the whole of the west of China. They see the new industries as their key new growth industries.
We won't have them here. I mean, the idea here that we turn our back on the new country, on the new transforming Australian economy, by not letting carbon be priced and therefore capital allocated properly is nonsense. I mean, the Abbott argument that you don't tax the polluters, you give them money, you give the polluters money to change their bad habits, is tripe.

... And, look, the economy's in a massive transition. That's obvious to everybody.
The terms of trade are effecting a massive transition on us. And this pricing mechanism is carbon is part of that transition, so of course it stands with those big changes, Medicare, superannuation, the deregulation, the ones you mentioned. It's in that league. It's part of the Labor tradition of change, the Labor tradition of the adaptation of the economy.
You know this - you know what Tony Abbott's policy is? "If you don't give me the job, I'll wreck the place. If you don't give me the job, I'll wreck the place." And we're supposed to, "Well, Tony, you better have it, you know, otherwise you might destroy it on us." I mean, Tony's got to have the political judo chop.

... let's be clear about it: it's $30 billion in all coming from the polluters. It's not the public paying the tax, it's the companies. Of the $30 billion, $15 goes to the public, roughly, and $15 billion goes to new clean technology. Right? Just as it ought to be, just as it ought to be.
It's not as if it's a tax on members of the public; it's a tax on the companies and the extent that leads to increases in prices, they're covered by the compensation the Government are offering them. So, I mean, it's a very, very well-thought-out scheme, and importantly, a very fair one.

... Well, it's very hard to get this stuff out and going when people know you're doing it and yet you haven't got the detail out.
Now it's out there. See, for instance, the Treasurer's increased the tax-free threshold to $18,000. That's a very big change, very big change. Half a million people will have a substantial benefit out of that, mostly women, mostly part-timers - women. And of course, the increase in the tax-free threshold of $18,000 goes to everybody, it goes to you and it goes to me, so everyone has a win.
This is a very big tax change, very big change. So until people see the detail, it is hard to sell the stuff, but once it's out there - I mean, this policy change and the neatness of the compensations, and, if you like, the justice of the measure, should really be applauded across the media.
You know, if it gets this bad that it's that hard to get a plus for something this right, what hope does a country have?