Xenophon backs carbon tax repeal

Independent senator Nick Xenophon has said he will support the Coalition in repealing the carbon tax if they win the next election, but only if Tony Abbott comes up with "a sensible alternative".
Senator Xenophon told Neos Kosmos this week that he would not support the Coalition's current Direct Action scheme, which he described as "clunky and inefficient".
"I'd support a repeal of the Carbon Tax only if there's an alternative emissions trading scheme that would be cheaper, cleaner and smarter, such as the model developed by Frontier Economics," said the senator.
Economics consultancy company Frontier Economics was jointly commissioned by Xenophon and previous opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull to come up with an alternative model to the carbon tax.
"The Frontier scheme would achieve double the cuts in pollution at a fraction of the cost.
"It's a scheme that provides much better transitional mechanisms so you don't have short sharp price shocks to the economy, and it wouldn't affect consumers in the same way, particularly on electricity prices."
Senator Xenophon says that following the Frontier Economics model would also allow for a higher target for emissions reduction than the existing government scheme.
Meanwhile in the wake of the Craig Thomson affair, Senator Xenophon has said that the federal government lacks a proper device for scrutinising allegations of corruption made against federal parliamentarians.
"It's an anomaly, that a level of scrutiny that applies to state governments isn't in force in Canberra.
"Federal politicians are so much on the nose at the moment, it would be a way to restoring confidence in democracy and the political process."
Senator Xenophon is calling for the creation of an Independent Anti-Corruption Commission to operate on a federal basis similar to such commissions in NSW, Queensland and WA, and soon to be established in all states.
"All politicians should be subject to a watchdog with real teeth that ensures a high level of probity in government."
Asked for his reaction to the speech by Craig Thomson to parliament this week, the Senator for South Australia said he felt a degree of sympathy for Mr Thomson.
"The saga will continue, but Craig Thomson is entitled to a presumption of innocence and it is completely unfair for his family and staff to be subject to abuse.
"Copping criticism and being subject to scrutiny is part of what we do as politicians," said Mr Xenophon.
"Politics can be a brutal business but he is entitled to be treated fairly."