Sound of one-sided debates a disturbing trend | The Australian

WHEN ABC radio presenter Adam Spencer hung up on his interview guest, Lord Christopher Monckton, he demonstrated a disturbing trend in Australia's progressive insider class.

On a range of issues, and especially when it comes to climate change, we see a determination to win debates not through rational argument, but by silencing opponents. In a vibrant liberal democracy such as ours, this is an uncomfortable development.

Carbon tax to hit profits and growth and inflation predicted | The Australian

JULIA Gillard's carbon tax will create an instant inflation spike, slow the domestic economy's already tepid growth and make a dent in company earnings at a critical time in the nation's recovery from the global financial crisis.

Impost 'ill-timed' and puts Australia at a disadvantage | The Australian

THE Australian named as co-chair to President Barack Obama's newly created committee on manufacturing has a message for the Australian government: the carbon tax is ill-timed and bad for investment.

Darwin-born Andrew Liveris, who runs the $US54 billion ($50bn) Dow Chemical, thinks a price signal on carbon fails to appreciate that fossil fuels will continue to be the dominant source of energy and suggests the government needs to appreciate the problem more holistically.

"I think it's not well timed," Liveris told The Australian.

"The problem with carbon pricing in isolation is that Australia will be on its own in doing this and it may end up becoming a very difficult place for people to come and invest in.