Prime Minister Abbot says " Adelaide is world's most livable city"

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he regards Adelaide as the world's most liveable city.

Speaking at the South Australian Liberal Party's annual meeting on Saturday, Mr Abbott said the city had "great people, a great climate, terrific restaurants, art and culture".

"This city has got everything going for it except the strong economy that the people of South Australia deserve," he said.

Mr Abbott said it was important to SA for the new coalition government to scrap both carbon and mining taxes.

He said as long as those two measures remained in place there would be a "permanent handbrake" on the local economy.

The prime minister said without the carbon tax and the mining tax the chances of BHP Billiton proceeding with its major expansion of the Olympic Dam uranium and copper mine would also be enhanced.

"I can't guarantee that without the carbon tax and without the mining tax the Olympic Dam mine expansion will go ahead," he said.

"But I can guarantee that with the carbon tax and with the mining tax, it will never happen."

BHP Billiton put the $30 billion expansion on hold late last year ahead of advancing new mining technology to make the project financially viable.

On Saturday Mr Abbott also pledged to help fund the long-awaited north-south road corridor through Adelaide under a future Liberal state government.

[flossybeth]

I agree to a certain degree that Adelaide is indeed a very livable city but as far as the carbon tax issue goes, it's a bit like people in the UK moaning just now because energy prices are going up. Energy prices will continue to rise (and not just in the UK) because the world is running out of cheap fossil fuels - this is not a new idea; I did my thesis on renewables back in the mid 90's and nothing's really moved on except some houses have solar panels.... There really needs to be a bit of just "suck it up" but there also needs to be real action by governments and Tony Abbot's attitude on energy is more than ridiculous.

[Rabeah]

Not only is Tony's attitude ridiculous, the axed carbon and mining tax will under guarantee replaced with another tax, however named. Eventually, the money has to come from somewhere new source.

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

I agree to a certain degree that Adelaide is indeed a very livable city but as far as the carbon tax issue goes, it's a bit like people in the UK moaning just now because energy prices are going up. Energy prices will continue to rise (and not just in the UK) because the world is running out of cheap fossil fuels - this is not a new idea; I did my thesis on renewables back in the mid 90's and nothing's really moved on except some houses have solar panels.... There really needs to be a bit of just "suck it up" but there also needs to be real action by governments and Tony Abbot's attitude on energy is more than ridiculous.

 

There are a couple of other very contentious energy related issues that will affect South Australia as well.

One of them is the oil exploration and drilling that's happening in the Great Australian Bight...hundreds of millions of Dollars being spent and new exploration leases being granted.

The other one is the potential oil reserves in the South Australian outback...and the fracking process to extract them.

[flossybeth]

There are a couple of other very contentious energy related issues that will affect South Australia as well.

One of them is the oil exploration and drilling that's happening in the Great Australian Bight...hundreds of millions of Dollars being spent and new exploration leases being granted.

The other one is the potential oil reserves in the South Australian outback...and the fracking process to extract them.

 

Makes me shiver just to think - they seem to think that just because Australia is big and minimally populated it can take anything they throw at it

[spanners]

Tony Abbott would say Baghdad was a great place to live if there was a sound bite in it.

 

Adelaide is a great place but one of the world's top 10 - I would doubt it.