Thousands gather in Canberra for carbon tax protest

Thousands of people gathered in the Australian capital, Canberra, to protest against a planned carbon tax aimed at curbing greenhouse emissions.

It is the centrepiece of Prime Minister Julia Gillard's environmental strategy, despite her ruling out its introduction during last year's election campaign.

A year on from that pledge, conservative opponents, who opposed the measure, are calling for new elections.

They say the tax will drive up household bills and cost jobs.

Phil Mercer reports