Anti-carbon tax campaigner James Cryer steps up to the mike

The printing industry was represented at last weekend’s carbon tax rally in Hyde Park Sydney, when industry notable, James Cryer, brought his message to the assembled throng.

Readers of this journal will be familiar with the thrust of Cryer’s complaints against the imposition of a carbon tax. He has presented his point of view at a number of industry forums in recent months.

“Sometimes it is up to citizens to take a stand and speak out,” he told Print21. “At the rally I made the point that the printing industry is also unfairly accused of destroying forests as well as creating carbon. I may have a bee in my bonnet but I felt it had to be said.”

It will come as no surprise to our readers that he spoke out against the current focus on carbon as the main threat while pollution, which he sees as the main culprit, is given a free pass.

In his oration he told the crowd that if governments were fair dinkum they could implement taxes on the consumption of fossil fuels tomorrow - along with subsidies on public transport and alternate energy sources.

“They could also impose taxes on genuine polluters like coal-seam gas drillers.A carbon tax fails all the tests of a good tax – transparency, efficiency and targeting specific changes in behaviour.”

He maintains he was not trying to whip the crowd up to frenzy – he left that to Angry Anderson. Indeed he says a number of participants came up to him afterwards to congratulate him on his measured approach.

“I’m not really a rally-type person, but I consider the carbon tax as a metaphor for a lot of government stupidity,” he said.