Only a country that has no clear idea where it is heading could think of taxing the industry that is blamed for climate change, taxing the people who have been victimised by it, and then taxing the same industry again for being, well, too successful.
The upshot of all the fires, floods and cyclones that have wreaked havoc over Australia in the past few months is that everybody has had more new taxes imposed on them, perpetrators and victims alike.
If you believe the scientists, the catastrophes have an undoubted source - they are the devastating end product of global climate change. Nobody seems to disagree that the only industry capable of producing outsized carbon emissions is the hugely successful local mining industry.
The catastrophes that have beset Australia in recent months will together cost the country about US$8 billion (Dh29.38bn), and somebody has to pay. Where does the government go first? It has mandated that all those earning above the average wage of $50,000 will pay a flood levy to claw back $1.8bn the government says it does not have to clean up the mess and restore infrastructure.
Next it says it is doing the right thing by all Australians in imposing two new taxes on the alleged perpetrators of all these disasters - a carbon tax on the miners and a mining-wealth tax on their profits. The carbon tax will be imposed next year, to be followed at some point by an emissions trading scheme, where polluters can trade carbon credits.
The public relations in all this is not too difficult to spin. The mining tax will "reinvest" much of the natural wealth harvested by miners and spread it more evenly among the more distressed regions and sectors of the community. The carbon tax forces the bad boys to change their polluting ways.
Of course, the government is just finding excuses to set new taxes - hitting the mining industry for being dirty, and then hitting it again for being so successful. Can it have it both ways? Many remain unconvinced. They have reasons to be doubtful, as many say the carbon tax is not a levy on the polluters, but just another imposition on the population, through the back door.
A carbon tax will lead to higher electricity prices, but that is just the start of it. Small and medium-sized businesses will bear much of the brunt of the costs, which the big carbon emitters will pass directly along their massive supply chains.
The big carbon producers will also be forced to scrutinise all their suppliers - especially those who provide raw materials direct to them - to ensure their own carbon footprint will not being compromised at any level.
Suppliers to emitters that cannot measure their footprint or show that they are sourcing from "clean" materials may lose contracts. In other words, small businesses supplying the powerful carbon producers (the top three of which - Rio Tinto, BHP and Woodside Petroleum - make up 30 per cent of the top 100 share index by capitalisation on the Australian Stock Exchange) are likely to be the most heavily punished by both the carbon tax and the emissions trading scheme that follows it.
What about Mr and Mrs Everybody?
The tax on a tonne of emitted carbon dioxide will then be passed on again to the buyers of petrol, steel, glass, concrete and aluminium, products that are all "emissions intensive". Who loses most? Probably not the big emitters who will have already priced it all in as part of the cost of doing business, but the consuming public.
There is, of course, the final matter of the mining tax, which will flow directly from mining profits "for the benefit of all Australians". The mining industry waged a $22 million advertising campaign last year in an attempt to get the country behind scrapping the tax. It lobbied the politicians in Canberra, warning that the proposed mining tax would force them all to operate offshore.
The government baulked and watered everything down. The original tax, which was forecast to net $99bn in revenue over a 10-year period, will now claw in only $38bn. The mining industry's ad campaign, it's safe to say, got value for its money.
In the end, of course, everybody will be forced to pay something, but if the Australian experience is anything to go by, managing the world's most burning issue may end up becoming a disaster in itself.
business@thenational.ae
The%20specs
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Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Last-16
France 4
Griezmann (13' pen), Pavard (57'), Mbappe (64', 68')
Argentina 3
Di Maria (41'), Mercado (48'), Aguero (90 3')
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
The%20Iron%20Claw
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