Australia PM introduces controversial carbon laws

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard introduced her government's controversial carbon tax plans into parliament on Tuesday in a third attempt to legislate a price on pollution after previous plans were rejected in 2009.

Gillard has staked her government's future on passing the laws, which will force around 500 big polluting companies to pay for carbon emissions through a A$23 ($23.75) per tonne carbon tax from July 2012, ahead of emissions trading from mid 2015. (Reuters)