Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Hansard source

That price impact will be much less than that which was experienced at the introduction of the GST. The government will provide fair and generous assistance for those who need it the most, including pensioners and low- and middle-income households. These will be the government's priority in delivering house­hold assistance. The government has already committed, and we will deliver these commitments, that more than 50 per cent of the carbon price revenue will be used to assist households, that millions of households will be better off under the carbon price arrangements, that the assistance—contrary to the scare campaign being run by the Leader of the Opposition—will be permanent.

It will mean that, under the carbon price arrangements, nine out of 10 households will get a combination of tax cuts and increased payments. Pensioners will benefit from a rise in the pension and around 280,000 self-funded retirees will receive assistance equal to the extra payments that we will provide to cover pensioners, part-pensioners and carers. Three million Australians will also get a 20 per cent buffer over and above the full average cost of the carbon price to give them some extra room to move and families, tradespeople and small businesses with light commercial vehicles will not face a fuel price rise as a result of the introduction of a carbon price. All of these commitments completely contradict and condemn the scare campaign run by the Leader of the Opposition.

This is a package that will be good for the environment and good for the economy and, importantly for a Labor government, this will be a good package for Australian households and families. In contrast, the greatest threat to Australian households and families is from the Leader of the Opposition. He has been angry throughout this entire campaign period: does not like the scientists, does not like the economists and now he has got his sights set on households.

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