Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

How can the price rises for electricity, of 80 per cent, that have been in place for over five years in New South Wales be the responsibility of a carbon price? How could that be? It is not the case. We have explained the impact of a carbon price overall—less than 1c in the dollar; 0.7 per cent. But of course there will be an impact on the overall price level, small as it is. That is the reason we are putting in place assistance to families and assistance to industry. That is what we have been doing. So we stand by all of the modelling that we have put out, including when it comes to electricity prices. We understand that there is a price impact and that is why households are getting assistance. The average household assistance is over $10 per household. The average electricity price increase is just over $3. That is a fact. There is nothing that those on that side of the House can do when they come in here to deny those essential facts.

The Leader of the Opposition will say anything, do anything and wreck anything for political power. He is constantly talking down our economy, he is constantly misrepresenting the impact of a carbon price and it just shows how unqualified he is for high office.

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