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

That is the reality. We have taken a policy to an election, we have sought a mandate, we have spoken to the Australian people, we have won that mandate and then we did what we said we would do: we brought repeal of the carbon tax to this place and we succeeded. And in towns like Colac, there are real world benefits. Right across Victoria, we saw a $3.1 billion hit over the last two years. Now that is gone and that means lower electricity prices and lower gas prices. It means a reduction of up to 12.4 per cent in electricity prices. It means a reduction of up to 10.5 per cent gas prices. These are things that have a real world impact on pensioners, seniors, farmers, manufacturing businesses and businesses such as Australian Lamb in Colac. Yet, there is a question whether or not there is a threat to this. There is. The stated policy, the declared policy, the intended policy of the Leader of the Opposition and the entire Labor Party is to bring back the carbon tax. It does not matter what they call it. It is to increase electricity prices, it is to increase gas prices and it is to put another $200,000 back onto the bill of Australian Lamb. That is their policy, that is their intent and that is their goal. We will not do that. We oppose a carbon tax—lock, stock and barrel. We oppose an ETS—lock, stock and barrel. We will not be bringing one back. They will. They are for higher electricity prices. We are for lower electricity prices.

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