Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

It is here. It is in the document. This guy used to occupy the position of Assistant Treasurer and he cannot read a budget. No wonder they have come up with a $30 billion slug on Australian families. They did it before and they will do it again. They were the world champion taxers before; they will be the world champion taxers again. We absolutely know that they have now not an $11 billion black hole but a $30 billion black hole. That would be the biggest tax increase that the Australian people have ever seen, because of the ineptitude of the coalition.

They might have to walk away from their five per cent unconditional target. Who knows—it is only Wednesday and we still have another day of sitting tomorrow. It could well be that the Leader of the Opposition will walk in and reaffirm his undertaking, his fundamental belief that climate change is absolute crap. If he truly believes that climate change is absolute crap—and I am sure that that is one honest statement from the opposition leader; he does believe that climate change is absolute crap—then he can abandon his five per cent emissions reduction target, the bipartisan position. But if he does not abandon the target then he has a $30 billion problem. Worse, the Australian people have a $30 billion problem.

The Leader of the National Party said, ‘Look, the government said that this is a tax on big polluters and it will have no effect on consumers.’ We have indicated that it will have an effect on consumers. We have said that. But we have also said that all of the proceeds of the fixed price permit would go to compensating consumers and to assisting businesses to make the transition to a low-carbon economy. We have indicated that they will be compensated.

There is a champion of pollution taxes in this parliament. I have done a PhD thesis, but the thesis of this champion has to be seen to be believed. I would give it about 9½ out of 10, if you can find it. I am not sure that the shadow environment minister can find it, but we have been able to find it. Here it is: the thesis of the shadow environment minister. It says, amongst other things:

The market system is the preferable regime as it better ensures that the polluter bears full responsibility for the cost of his or her conduct.

We would give 10 out of 10 for that! It is just a goldmine of learned observations. It includes this:

There is also a strong consensus that even if some of the Liberals’ constituents do respond negatively—

that is an understatement—

a pollution tax does need to be introduced to properly serve the public interest.

Ten out of 10 for the shadow environment minister—good on him. Where is he? He is probably watching on the monitor and saying, ‘Gee, Emo is going through my entire thesis.’ You bet your sweet bippy I am going through his entire thesis because he goes on to say:

Business’s greatest concern, according to the Liberal Party, is the need to have a certainty which would enable them to plan for the long term.

With that, I also agree. This thesis led to the inspiration of a very learned opinion piece in the Sunday Age. Again, I have to agree with so many of the statements in this learned thesis from the shadow environment minister. He said:

We should now consider the alternative of pollution taxes. Pollution taxes imposed on the lowest level of emission and increases the amount of waste produced increases. Pollution taxes encourage companies to decrease discharges of pollutants.

He went on to say:

Despite an initial protest from industries taxed not only have they survived but many have flourished because the cleaner industry has often proved to be more efficient.

He talks about the benefits of putting a price on pollution. That is what we are doing—putting a price on carbon pollution. But this man, the shadow environment minister, is under the thumb of the Leader of the Opposition, who says in the party room: ‘Look, I know most of you actually believe in climate change. I know you think this is a real problem, but we have got an opportunity—in fact I, Tony Abbott, have an opportunity—so shut up, keep your heads down and we will go the government over this and we might end up being in government.’ With that address to the party room, the opposition leader shows that he will say anything, do anything and take any opportunity to prevail over people like the member for Wentworth, the member for Flinders and very many members of the coalition and say: ‘Put your philosophy, put your principles and put your values aside because I could be Prime Minister. If you do not, there will be trouble.’

Yesterday we saw the beginning of very inappropriate usage of comparisons. I have got very broad shoulders. I play a bit of rugby, even these days—not all that convincingly—

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