Bob Brown’s Greens would deliberately destroy the Australian economy simply to enjoy the warm inner glow of their self-proclaimed moral superiority, Senator Ron Boswell said today.

Senator Boswell said the preference deal between Labor and the Greens virtually guaranteed the Greens would control the Senate from next July, and Australians contemplating supporting them - as a half-hearted, symbolic, emotional, protest against Labor - should engage some deeper political thinking, and examine their policies.

The first for consideration should be the Greens position on the mining tax, and the second climate change.

The Greens want what was once known as the Resource Super Profits Tax to be set at 50%.  Ousted Labor leader Kevin Rudd proposed the RSPT at 40% but was toppled after most Australians recognised the tax would do massive damage to the economy.

Labor back-flipped under new Leader Julia Gillard and dropped the rate to an effective 22.5% on a narrower base.

Senator Boswell said the Greens plans for a 50% RSPT were “irresponsible, puerile, politics of the warm inner glow” that would simply devastate mining and the Australian economy.

The Greens bid for a minimum 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 was “even sillier, even more puerile, and even more dangerous,” Senator Boswell said.

“Sensible people are aware that Labor’s current policy settings for a 5% reduction by 2020 make achieving the target extremely difficult and costly, even in the highly unlikely event that there is an international consensus on action anytime soon,” Senator Boswell said.

“A forced push to a 40% reduction in the same time frame is simply ridiculous and a recipe to shut Australia down.  These are pixie tweets, not policy, and are not supportable by rational Australians who want a job, food on the table, and electric light.”

ENDS