Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the Treasurer’s contemptuous description of the expert departmental advice from four departments in relation to FuelWatch as being, in the Treasurer’s words, ‘bureaucratic and academic’. Given the Treasurer’s lack of faith in Public Service advice, why did the government appoint the head of Treasury to head up the government’s own ‘root and branch’ tax review?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the interesting things about the ACCC and the attitude of the member opposite and the sources of advice for pricing questions is that there is a view on the part of those opposite that all wisdom lies in the regular bureaucratic departments, whereas I am always taken by what the member for Higgins says and what he is up to. We are all taken by what he is up to in recent times—and he should inform the Leader of the Opposition of what that is in due course. The member for Higgins had this to say when this report by the ACCC was first launched:

… the ACCC is an independent market regulator which has more expertise in the area of access and pricing than any other Federal Government instrumentality or agency and that is why it is very important that it is engaged in all of these pricing issues.

That is what he, whom even you described yesterday as the fountain of economic wisdom, had to say when this report was launched. That is why this government, in considering its position on FuelWatch, has been entirely mindful of the econometric modelling contained within the ACCC report.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr Speaker.