ABSTRACT
Chapter 3 (Climate Politics at the Top: The Corporations and the Two Major Parties) examines the nexus between the corporate sector and the state in the Australian political economy. It examines climate change political machinations between the corporations and the various Australian governments and their oppositions during the following periods: (1) the ALP governments and the Coalition opposition, 1983–1996; (2) the Coalition government and the ALP opposition, 1996–2007; (3) the ALP governments and the Coalition opposition, 2007–2013; and (4) the Coalition governments and ALP opposition, 2013–present. Climate change has adversely impacted the career of every Australian prime minister since John Howard, along with him during his later years in this role. Both Coalition and ALP governments at both the federal and state levels have consistently subsidized the exploitation of Australia’s coal, natural gas, and coal seam gas supplies and supported the expansion of coal exports and liquid natural gas. The fossil fuel- and coal-based electricity generation industries have dominated almost every greenhouse-related consultative body. Australia is distinct in that it has been the only country that adopted and then abandoned some form of carbon pricing in the form of the Carbon Price Mechanism implemented by the Gillard ALP government with the support of the Greens.
