Wong contradicts Rudd & claims Labor had a Carbon Tax mandate

Kevin Rudd has admitted that Labor had no mandate for the Carbon Tax.

But yesterday Labor Campaign Spokesperson, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Finance Minister Penny Wong claimed on ABC News 24 they did and cited “different versions of history.”

CURTIS: Kevin Rudd said yesterday Labor didn’t have a mandate to introduce the carbon tax – has he effectively accepted the premise of the argument Tony Abbott’s been running against Labor for three years?

WONG: Well, look, there’s no doubt a price on carbon has been a pretty hotly contested and bitterly divisive policy area for some time. My view is: I’m very pleased that we have finally got back to the position which is the one that Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd went to the election with in 2007, which is a floating price through an emissions trading system.

CURTIS: Did you have a mandate for a carbon tax?

WONG: Look, I think we were clear that we wanted to implement a price on carbon but, you know, obviously there’s different versions of history and I think it’s fair to say how the electorate has understood what occurred.

Senator Wong has repudiated Kevin Rudd and in doing so has backed former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

This is a slap in the face for Mr Rudd and reveals the schism that exists within the senior ranks of the Labor Party over the Carbon Tax.

This is not the first time Senator Wong has undermined Mr Rudd.

Last week she pointedly refused to back his thought bubble to cut the corporate tax rate in the Northern Territory and now she is crab walking away from his carbon tax position.

 27 August 2013