While strongly committed to building a more sustainable industry, AREMA believes that the Federal Government’s carbon tax is ill-advised, ill-designed and completely unsuitable for purpose. There was no consultation with the industry during the design of this latest version, and industry input was ignored. As a result we have a clumsy, very expensive and ultimately ineffective tax, at a time when the Australian economy can ill-afford it. AREMA has suggested better ways to reduce direct emissions, by replicating the very cost-effective success we have had with CFCs and HCFCs, but Government chose to ignore industry advice and go with a simplistic ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution.