1984 hits Australia in 2011.
The Daily Telegraph‘s Miranda Devine reports,
THE whitewash begins. Now that the carbon tax has passed through federal parliament, the government’s clean-up brigade is getting into the swing by trying to erase any dissent against the jobs-destroying legislation.
On cue comes the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which this week issued warnings to businesses that they will face whopping fines of up to $1.1m if they blame the carbon tax for price rises.
It says it has been “directed by the Australian government to undertake a compliance and enforcement role in relation to claims made about the impact of a carbon price.”
Businesses are not even allowed to throw special carbon tax sales promotions before the tax arrives on July 1.
“Beat the Carbon Tax – Buy Now” or “Buy now before the carbon tax bites” are sales pitches that are verboten. Or at least, as the ACCC puts it, “you should be very cautious about making these types of claims”.
There will be 23 carbon cops roaming the streets doing snap audits of businesses that “choose to link your price increases to a carbon price”.
Instead, the ACCC suggests you tell customers you’ve raised prices because “the overall cost of running (your) business has increased”.
ITS PRETTY AMAZING ISNT IT.
One simple solution – to bring this to the attention of the public. Stores to have prominent signs repeating this ruling, businesses to have billboards with this ruling, possibly alongside a photo of Julia Gilliard, etc. Make sure the public knows exactly what their governmentt is doing and make up its’ own mind. No law broken!
The Aussies who think that Obama represents the majority of opinions in the USA would be gravely mistaken, if they think we are in agreement with his stroking of their elitists’ egos by his cheering on of their draconian Orwellian “carbon tax” and “thought police” programs being enforced by the numbskulls in charge down there as well.
Extraordinary. You know what’s MOST extraordinary about this news article? ..that it’s not extraordinary anymore. Carbon Cops – compliance and enforcement? Those should be the first ‘Green Jobs’ to be dismantled once reality bites in Oz. Then again…reality’s bite rarely seems to reach those contemptible pricks forcing this stuff onto those people paying more and more for food, water and energy. You can bet these carbon cops will be equipped with some powerful legislative recourse. Sick, sick, sick.
…. Isn’t this some kind of illegal …?
It is some kind of elitist authoritarian-regulatory bureaucracy spiraled into totalitarian tyranny.
As is demonstrated daily by their hubris and their arrogance, the Canberra Principality’s systemically narcissistic self-anointed self-appointed and self-perpetuating Principality of Hutt River emulators have passed over into the realm of the fascistic!
There you go assuming that freedom of speech exists outside of the US.
Isn’t this some kind of illegal? Can’t the businesses or a business organisation sue the commission for blackmail or for violation of speech rights?
Isn’t there a right to jury trial in Australia? In the process necessary to levy a fine the jury would probably decide in favour of the defendant.
If speaking out against the carb-tax by telling facts can result in a fine, why is then the government not fined for making a pro-carb-tax commercial?
I would explain that price increases are due to the carb-tax, and call it
Fair Blame.