Australian PM moves to repeal carbon tax

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott reintroduced legislation Monday that would repeal a carbon tax on the country’s biggest polluters.

Abbott reintroduced the legislation to the Australian Parliament Monday, and the bill is expected to pass with a narrow margin, the Associated Press reports.

{mosads}In March the opposition center-left Labor Party and minor Green party blocked bills that would have repealed the $22.79 tax per metric ton of carbon dioxide that took effect in July 2012.

But now that Abbott’s conservative coalition will come into power after winning in September, those new senators will take their seats on July 7.

When introducing the legislation Monday Abbott said voters rejected the tax by electing his government into office.

“The people have spoken and now it’s up to this Parliament to show that it’s listening,” Abbott said, according to AP.

The move by Abbott comes roughly one week after he visited with President Obama. Reports leading up to the meeting focused on how greatly the two leaders differ when it comes to climate policies.

Talk Obama’s new standards, which seek to cut carbon dioxide emissions from existing U.S. power plants, remained to a minimum during the bilateral talks.