Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Of course, I am talking about the future of this business. In its future I want to see it get a tax cut and get tax relief. Whether it is incorporated or not I want to see it get a benefit—a company tax cut, if it is incorporated. Whether it is incorporated or not it will get the benefit of an instant asset write-off of $6,500 a year. Whether it is incorporated or not it will have the ability to get a tax benefit of $5,000 when buying a new motor vehicle. The member who asked the question is opposed to all of that.

On the question of carbon pricing and this business, or any Australian business, and the Australian nation, if we are committed to reducing our carbon pollution by five per cent by 2020, as is bipartisan politics in this parliament, then action needs to be taken. Once you have agreed to that—reducing it by five per cent—there is only one question you then need to ask yourself. Do you do it in the most cost effective way or do you do it in a more expensive way?

Prime Minister Howard and his government recognised that the most cost effective way of reducing carbon pollution was to put a price on carbon. Prime Minister Howard was right. The Leader of the Opposition was right when he campaigned with Prime Minister Howard on that platform in the 2007 election. All of the members of the coalition who are on the record supporting carbon pricing—

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