Julia Gillard - Australia sets carbon tax to fight climate change

Australia announced plans Sunday to the pollution of carbon tax to AUS $ 23 (U.S. $ 24.74) per tonne to help combat climate change as it moved towards the creation of the largest in the region trading of emissions.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said there would be a fixed price of carbon, global warming, starting next year before an emissions trading system was introduced in 2015.

Under the scheme, to begin July 1, 2012, about 500 of the largest polluters in Australia pay a fixed price, which starts at AUS $ 23 per tonne for their emissions of carbon dioxide in the first three years.

The mechanism would then pass through an emissions trading system with a variable price set by the market. The government set a floor price and ceiling for at least the first three years to avoid price shocks.

Julia Gillard - her first year as PM

Sydney - Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Friday marked the anniversary of her rise to power, to defend his performance and said he never intended to mislead voters in a carbon tax.

Gillard, Australia's first female prime minister, ousted Kevin Rudd in a Labor Party coup on June 24, 2010 - a date for the conservative opposition, which is labeled "assassination day" - after Rudd came into conflict with the bosses factions.

Rudd was signaling at the polls at the time, but the government Gillard dropped even lower, with the passage of current main job is only 27 percent after backflipped Gillard in an election promise not to impose a tax on pollution .

Gillard defended her position Friday, saying she would not be misleading when it said during the campaign, there would be no carbon tax under the government, she led.