SYDNEY (Reuters) - Coal miners, steel firms and airlines were sold off on Monday a day after Australia's unpopular government introduced a carbon tax scheme, while power suppliers warned the tax could risk A$4-6 billion in assets if banks tightened financing.
But economists said the A$23 a tonne carbon tax, aimed at encouraging the biggest polluting industries to clean up operations, would have little impact on economic growth, riding on the back of China's appetite for its mineral resources. Nor would it significantly affect inflation or interest rates.
