We're not pissants: Garnaut

ROSS Garnaut has used his climate change swan song to paint the political battle over a carbon tax as a fight between an old political culture of special interests and the national interest.

At the launch of his updated climate change review yesterday Professor Garnaut blasted sections of industry who suggest Australian action to reduce emissions would not influence international efforts.

''This is an argument that Australia is a pissant country,'' Professor Garnaut said. ''Well, I do not accept that Australia is a pissant country.''

Climate report an assault on democracy, says Abbott | The Australian

"There is a developing democratic deficit here," he said. "First of all the Prime Minister wasn't upfront with the Australian public before the election. Now the idea that taxes in this country should effectively be set by people who are outside the parliament, and who are not accountable to the people, I think, is just odd.

"This just goes to show how out of control the government is on this whole climate change question."

Garnaut's cry from the heart for honesty

perhaps most important of all, he proposes a way to take politics out of Australia's future decisions on climate change by setting up three independent agencies to advise the government on future targets, on future industry assistance measures and to administer the scheme.

People on $80,000 a year are the new carbon tax yardstick | Herald Sun

THE Gillard Government's chief climate change adviser Ross Garnaut says $80,000 is a "higher-income" level that could be used as a yardstick for carbon tax compensation.

Government sources last night insisted people earning "well over $80,000" would be compensated, and those with children were likely to get a family benefits boost.