Julia Gillard's Carbon Tax - My concerns

I have a question to ask after reading Julia Gillard's article Reject the climate change extremists in the Age newspaper today. My question is directed towards Gillard's statement: Consumers, too, have a choice. As the cost of higher emission goods becomes higher relative to lower emission goods, they can either reduce their usage or switch to a low-emission alternative.

How would low income consumers be able to afford to install a solar energy unit on their roof or replace energy hungry electric heaters already installed in the property they rent, with cheaper gas appliances, if they don't own the place where they live? Sometimes they can't even install energy saver light bulbs because in order to do so the owner would have to replace existing light fittings. Getting a landlord to replace old shower heads in favor of  ones that release less water can be a trial in itself. If owners of such properties converted to energy/water saving devises they would increase rents and so the burden of transferring to low-emission alternatives would be borne by those who are  the least able to afford it! My solution is that the government provide funds to landlords so that they can make desirable, greener alterations to premises without having to pass costs onto consumers.This is one way that those on a low-income could make savings on their bills.

Given that Ms Gillard knows the language business understands...is...of profit and expenses, then she must understand that all the way along the line, from the food that we buy, the water and energy we consume and the places we live in, people who live on low-incomes will bear the brunt of this carbon tax because of a trickle-down effect in which owners and suppliers pass on expenses they don't wish to pay for! Why can't the government place a price cap on rentals and other goods and services?

I would like to know how the government is going to  help those on lower incomes with the impacts of a price on carbon...and protect the most vulnerable members of our society - the low-income families, workers and pensioners? Organic foods, low-toxicity and chemical free cleaning products generally cost more  and I doubt whether those on a low income would choose to go down this greener, cleaner path, when the purchase of non-organic food is already straining their budgets, however allocating more in their pension may assist them in offsetting increasing food, rental and utility costs.

Given that people receiving age pensions will double over the next decade, the government needs to consider the impact of a carbon-tax on these people who will be over 65 as well as those living off disability support and unemployment benefits.

If Gillard's concern is to protect the vulnerable, as well as protect the environment then we are going to have to ask her the hard questions and she better be prepared to come up with the answers. (An abbreviated version of this post was also posted under 'comments' after Julia Gillard's article this morning).
And, just one more comment. I just bet that all those people who were prattling on about 'climate change' and what we should do about it (and I was not one of them) are probably the first to whinge about a carbon tax because it will hit their hip pocket!