Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, the Service Economy and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs. I refer to the Fuelwatch regulatory impact statement and advice from Treasury contained in the leaked cabinet document. These documents advise that the proposed Fuelwatch scheme will result in ongoing increased operating costs to individual businesses of $4,000 per year, costing $20 million per annum in total. Why has the minister misled his own colleagues in this leaked caucus submission dated 3 June 2008, which states that the cost to business is zero?

Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would refer the honourable member to my second reading speech. I would also refer him to the numerous public comments on this from both me and the Prime Minister. The cabinet took a decision that the implementation costs of Fuelwatch for small business should be zero. Accordingly, that decision was taken in light of the regulatory impact statement. The cabinet weighed up that advice and gave me an instruction that the establishment cost should be zero. Accordingly, the ACCC have changed the model of implementation so that there is no software to be implemented by small business. They will be able to advise of the price on the ACCC’s website. They will be able to advise on a toll-free number and they will have zero cost. At the moment, that compares to—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! The question has been asked; the minister has the call.

Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That compares to at the moment where most, not all, service stations notify the website, which was characterised this morning by the Chairman of the ACCC as being anticompetitive, and inform sources of their price changes every time they change prices—as many times as it happens a day. There will be one notification per day to the ACCC. I fail to see how one notification per day to the ACCC on a toll-free number or via email involves compliance costs for small business.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. They do not open the phones in Western Australia on the weekend.

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

The member for O’Connor will leave the chamber under standing order 94(a).

The member for O’Connor then left the chamber.

Whilst I think his treatment was well needed, I say to the Chief Opposition Whip: I hope he cannot get an early flight.