Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Hansard source

He was at Townsville. He was the third man at Townsville. There he was. He did not mention that not only were they keeping another version but also it went up every year between now and 2020 to $38. They recognised that if you abolished the carbon tax, prices would come down. Guess what? The same people doing the same modelling and coming to the same conclusions are the ones advising us. If you ask where our savings come from, the same people doing the same modelling are coming to the same conclusions.

The difference, however, is that when we get rid of the carbon tax, it is gone forever. When they say they terminate the carbon tax, firstly it is still here, secondly they are trying to keep it and thirdly they want to bring it back. Their own modelling shows the price they want to bring back will be $38 in 2020 but—wait for this!—their own modelling also shows that it goes up each year every year forever. By 2050, it will be a $350 per tonne tax. This is from their own modelling produced by the same people advising us. If you want to understand the impact on the economy, it is not just the savings this year but the savings each year. When we come to the next election, the carbon tax will be gone but they will be wanting to bring it back. The tax will go up and up and up, and that will not stop unless this government removes it and this government stays in office.

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