In the wake of protracted consultations and acrimonious public debates, the release of long-awaited details of the Gillard Government's proposed carbon tax on 10 July 2011 indicates that the fate of proposed carbon reduction legislation will be determined in the next parliamentary session. Far from closing off debate, the release of carbon pricing details and related compensatory packages will invite fresh debate as to the merits or otherwise of the proposed measures. As climate change is a global issue it is essential to assess proposals for greenhouse reduction measures against models in other countries or regions, some of which have had carbon reductions schemes in place for many years. Moreover, the mistakes of the past and mistakes in other jurisdictions can, with appropriate knowledge, foresight and planning, be avoided.