Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Corangamite for her question, because this is a significant week. Australia has had the world's biggest carbon tax and now there is a chance, now there is an opportunity, to get rid of it. Labor opposite apparently still want to keep this tax. Once more, in spite of the Townsville termination statement, they are determined to bring it back, if ever given another chance.

What Australian people want is an end to this tax, which is costing jobs. At least 120,000 jobs have been lost in Australia since Labor introduced the carbon tax. The tax is adding to the cost of living. It is adding to the cost of everything we do in this country. Getting rid of it will save the average householder $550 a year. It will make Australian industry more competitive. It will give us the opportunity to build on our nation's strength, without having to carry this extra burden that our competitors around the world simply do not have to live with. Electricity prices will go down by about nine per cent and everybody will therefore be better off in that regard. It will be cheaper to run your refrigerator, cheaper to run your heaters or your air-conditioners. It will help those who are building roads or manufacturing goods in this country. These are all benefits that will flow through to the Australian economy. As a result, we will once again have the chance to become competitive.

It should come as no surprise to Labor that the carbon tax has increased the cost of living and has cost jobs in this country. The very design of the tax was intended to raise the cost of doing business, of using electricity. It was a deliberate strategy to hurt people, to hurt them so much, the theory was, that they would turn off their lights at night rather than use electricity, that they would not undertake manufacturing in this country. That is a foolish policy that has damaged Australia's economy. Of course, if Labor ever gets the opportunity again to introduce a carbon tax it will not be at the current price of $25.40. Their projected figure is $38 rising to $350 over the life of their scheme. That is an unsatisfactory impost on Australian business, and the sooner we get rid of it the better. Labor has its chance for the third time this week in the Senate to vote to get rid of this tax and let Australians get on with their lives.

See this speech in context