Most convinced carbon tax will be costly

Most people are convinced the carbon tax will add to cost-of-living pressures even though they have been compensated by the federal government.
Mortgage provider Loan Market's online survey found 59 per cent of respondents are convinced the tax will increase the cost of living, while just nine per cent believe costs will be minimal.
The survey of 739 respondents found 18 per cent believed the impact of the tax will not be as bad as some have made out, while 14 per cent reserved judgment.
Treasury has estimated that pricing carbon will increase the consumer price index by 0.7 per cent, while the Reserve Bank says it will look through the adjustment when considering interest rates.
Loan Market Corporate spokesman Paul Smith says the carbon tax is another factor weighing on consumer confidence in what are already challenging times.

Brown backs Sea Shepherd WA campaign

Former Greens senator Bob Brown has traded in his political hat for a pair of sea legs by joining the crew of the Sea Shepherd for an anti-gas hub campaign.
The former federal leader of the Greens will board one of the environmental group's ships as it sets sail for the waters off the West Australian coast near Broome for his first major campaign since retiring from politics last month.
Dr Brown said that, as an adviser to the group, he hopes to raise awareness of the devastating consequences if federal approval is granted to huge gas projects where humpback whales are known to thrive.
"This is an ancient whale birthing centre," he told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday on board the ship named after the late environmentalist Steve Irwin.
"It's no place for gas factories, gas ships, and all the disruption that's going to come with this $30 billion dollar destructive project, if it goes ahead."
Western Australia's environmental approval authority gave Woodside the tick of approval for gas hub development in the region earlier this week, but Dr Brown said the federal government still has to sign off on it.
The Sea Shepherd crew will be meeting Aboriginal activists in Broome before sailing to the proposed development site in early August.
It will be the first major Australian waters campaign for Sea Shepherd, which is better known for its high-profile efforts against Japanese whaling.
Dr Brown said the government also needs to step up its efforts in helping Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson, who is being detained in Germany

PM 'poll failure' prediction rejected

 WAYNE Swan has repudiated a prediction by Labor whip Joel Fitzgibbon that Julia Gillard will be replaced as leader if she fails to lift the party's standing in the polls.

Mr Fitzgibbon's assessment has reignited speculation of a possible Kevin Rudd comeback, amid widespread alarm among caucus members at the party's dire election prospects.

But the Treasurer, whose fate is linked to that of the Prime Minister, said Ms Gillard would continue to lead Labor, whether or not the polls improved.

“Keeping your eye on the opinion polls is not what leadership is all about and our Prime Minister has got stuck into some of the biggest and most important reforms in generations,” Mr Swan told ABC Radio.

“Putting a price on carbon, putting in place a mining tax, the fundamental reform of the aged care system, paid parental leave.

“All of those things are the fundamental reforms and at the end of the day those are the things that will matter, that will count, at the next federal election.”