Hip-pocket hit creates a climate for change

More than half of voters in favour of Labor’s 45 per cent emissions reduction target would withdraw their support over cost.

More than half of voters in favour of Labor’s 45 per cent emissions reduction target would withdraw their support when confronted with the personal financial cost such a policy would bring, according to a new survey.

Backing for the policy dropped to about 10 per cent of voters when they were warned of the estimated loss of income of $347 a fortnight — a figure based on findings of the Fisher Report, published this week.

Support for withdrawing from the signed Paris Agreement — an emissions reduction target of at least 26 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 — has decreased from 17 per cent to 4 per cent since a previous poll on the topic in February.

The YouGov/Galaxy poll of 1033 voters this month — conducted for the Liberal Party-signed Menzies Research Centre and the Nationals’ Page Research Centre — found that “support for action on climate change at or below the current level required by our Paris commitment” is up six points to 49 per cent. Those in favour of increasing the required level of the Paris commitment dropped five points to 21 per cent.

But when warned of the hip-pocket costs of Labor’s emission reduction target of 45 per cent, the support plummeted 52 points to 9 per cent.

Under this scenario, 53 per cent of respondents supported an emissions target at or below the current level, while 17 per cent wanted a lower target.

The poll was conducted last weekend, before the release on Tuesday of the Fisher Report, conducted by BAEconomics managing director Brian Fisher.

Dr Fisher’s analysis found that, even using carry-over credits from Kyoto targets, Labor’s policy would reduce projected 2030 wages by $9000 a year — or about $347 a fortnight.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has previously said the government would meet its emissions reduction commitment “in a canter”.