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

We said that carbon pricing will have a modest impact on prices in our economy. The Treasury modelling shows that the price impact would be 0.7 per cent—less than one cent in the dollar. That is why I was shocked to see reports yesterday suggesting a butcher in my electorate was increasing prices by 15 to 20 per cent. The ACCC investigated these reports and found that the butcher had been misquoted.

I had the pleasure of speaking to the butcher, Luke, this morning. He is a great young man. He has got a great business. He has a very good reputation in my electorate and he deserves a lot better than being dragged into some political scare campaign by those opposite, which is not based on facts. They were in here yesterday with the results of a so-called study but, as we go through it, we find it is just simply not true. They never bothered to check the facts; in fact, they do not care about the facts. All they want to do is peddle fear. And they do not care who they hurt, what business they hurt or what community they hurt. They will go out there and make these extraordinary claims. The chickens are all coming home to roost for the Leader of the Opposition. He is the most aggressively negative opposition leader in our history. He is all opposition and no leadership.

Mr Buchholz interjecting—

See this speech in context