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

I am very directly talking about electricity prices in South Australia for businesses, including the Belair Hotel, about which I was asked. I am prepared to make some inquiries about the Belair Hotel, as I have just stated. But I am also alerting the member for Boothby, who asked the question. As he would be aware, as other South Australians are, there have been increases in power prices in South Australia that are nothing to do with carbon pricing but raise my concerns about things like overinvestment in poles and wires. The Premier of South Australia has also indicated his concern about the so-called gold-plating of the system. So the member for Boothby may want to think about those factors.

On the impact of carbon pricing on small business, or even businesses of the size of the Belair Hotel, to the member of the Boothby and to the House in general, we have always indicated that small businesses will be passing through those costs, and that is why we have assisted consumers with tax cuts and family payment increases and pension increases. That is why we have always said, under the modelling, that people would see an increase of 0.7 per cent in the cost of living. That is less than a cent in a dollar.

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