Julia Gillard didn’t understand early carbon tax policy, says Greens leader Christine Milne

FORMER prime minister Julia Gillard did not initially understand the policy details of the carbon tax, Greens leader Christine Milne has said.

24/02/2011 NEWS: PM Julia Gillard, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency with Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown and Deputy Leader Christine Milne, Independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott holding a press conference in the Prime Ministers Courtyard in Canberra.

FORMER prime minister Julia Gillard did not initially understand the policy details of the carbon tax, Greens leader Christine Milne has said.

Labor proposed an emissions trading scheme under Kevin Rudd but Ms Gillard announced the carbon tax policy as part of an uneasy alliance with the Greens following the 2010 election.

I don’t think she was across the policy detail … understanding the difference

- Christine Milne

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During the early days of Ms Gillard’s government she did not initially understand the difference between an ETS and the carbon tax, Senator Milne told Sky News’ Australian Agenda.

“I don’t think she was across the policy detail … understanding the difference,” the Greens leader said, adding Ms Gillard got to grips with the difference only after the multi-party climate change committee was set up.

Senator Milne said the policy began to unravel after Ms Gillard made the “fundamental error” of admitting during a television interview that an ETS with a fixed price was a tax. “That gave Tony Abbott everything he needed to ramp up his campaign,” she added.