Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

I heard mention of charities, and that is dead right. The government has seemed to belittle the fact that the RSPCA pays the carbon tax. We were at the RSPCA two days ago and it pays $180,000 in its first year, according to the president of the ACT and national chapters of the RSPCA. That is $180,000 for a charity. That is what they pay. The government may mock the RSPCA, but they sure as heck are taxing them at the same time.

I think that Australians are astonished that it is not some mythical group of 500 companies but every Australian small business, every Australian charity and every Australian household who uses electricity that will pay this tax, because at its heart the carbon tax is an electricity tax. When people ask, 'What will go up?' it is electricity. On day one—and this is where I want to finish—the moment you wake up and turn on the television, you will be paying the carbon tax. The moment you open the fridge door, you will be paying the carbon tax; the moment you use the kettle, you will be paying the carbon tax; and the moment you use the toaster, you will be paying the carbon tax. That is before you leave the door. That tax will apply to public transport, visits to the shop and visits to the tip.

The government talk about truth in advertising and yet the reality is that they advertise without reference to the carbon tax, they advertise without reference to electricity prices and they advertise without reference to the great deception of two years ago. (Time expired)

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