Carbon tax repealed in Australia

Australia’s Senate has voted to repeal the carbon tax, a levy on the biggest polluters passed by the previous Labour government in July 2012, according to media reports. Prime Minister Tony Abbott, whose Liberal-National coalition beat Labour in an election last year, had made the repeal a central part of his election manifesto, claiming it penalised legitimate businesses. The tax charged the 348 highest polluters A$23 (£13; $22.60) for every tonne of greenhouse gases produced. It is understood the Prime Minister proposes to replace the tax with a A$2.55bn taxpayer-funded plan under which industries will be paid to reduce emissions and use cleaner energy.