Disgraced former Speaker Peter Slipper has sided with the government to help pass legislation that will scrap the floor price for Labor's emissions trading scheme and link it to the European market in mid-2015.
Mr Slipper on Thursday joined the rest of the lower house crossbench - with the exception of Bob Katter - to vote in favour of changing the so-called clean energy package.
The amendments are now set to sail through the Senate with the support of the Greens.
The Gillard government in late August buckled to pressure from big business and announced it would scrap the proposed $15 floor price.
At the same time Labor revealed Australia's scheme would be linked to the European carbon market from July 2015.
The opposition argues the government is putting the local pollution price in the hands of 'Eurocrats'.
'Australia is handing over to Europe significant control of its electricity prices,' opposition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt said in a statement.
'Since when has Europe cared about how much higher the electricity bill goes up for a family living in Western Sydney.'
Later, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet blasted Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for his continuing scare campaign against the $23-a-tonne carbon tax that began in July.
Mr Abbott on Wednesday said a West Australian pensioner's electricity bill had jumped $800 of which 70 per cent was due to the tax.
'That is completely fallacious, totally wrong, totally deceitful,' Mr Combet told parliament.
'Even the most cursory examination of that bill that the opposition leader reluctantly tabled demonstrates he did not read it.'
The climate change minister said the energy retailer made clear the carbon price impact was just 9.13 per cent - in line with Treasury estimates - and the resident's consumption had almost doubled compared to the previous bill.
However, that didn't stop the coalition shortly afterwards raising concerns about the impact of the tax on the power bill of the Bays Hospital in Mornington.
But the consumer watchdog says the number of carbon tax complaints it's received has dropped from around 60 per day to as low as four in recent weeks.
In a report on the first 100 days of the carbon price, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on Thursday said it had received close to 2500 complaints and inquiries about the tax mainly from consumers and small businesses.
But average daily carbon complaint rates had dropped 'substantially' from around 60 to about 10 to 15 per day 'with daily numbers as low as four in recent weeks'.
A Climate Institute-commissioned report released on Thursday says China's seven trial emissions trading schemes will represent the second largest carbon market in the world by 2014 - and be double the size of Australia's regime.
The institute says the report proves the world is taking action to tackle dangerous climate change and Australia risks being left behind.
'Measured by emissions covered, China's pilot emissions trading schemes will represent the second largest carbon trading effort on earth by 2014 (behind the European market),' the report states.
