Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to the comments of the President of the Municipal Association of Victoria, Mr Bill McArthur, who said, If the carbon price is set at $25 per tonne, rate increases in excess of three per cent are likely.' What compensation will the government be providing to municipal councils, or will residents simply have to add rising council rates to their already stretched budgets?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. Here we go with the ongoing scare campaign from those opposite. They have not got the guts to face up to the tough decisions that we need to make to protect our economy and our environment for the future, so they just make things up day after day. We had the manufacturing spokesman out the other day claiming that there were going to be millions of jobs lost in Australia. I know what would have happened if they had been in charge during the global recession: there would have been hundreds of thousands of jobs lost in this country. They are a huge risk to our economy.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Treasurer will resume his seat until the House comes to order. The Treasurer has the call. The Treasurer will respond directly to the question.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is consulting with the community, business and crossbenchers about putting a price on carbon. We are working our way through that in a responsible and methodical way. We understand why it is so important to deal with dangerous climate change in this country. Sadly, that side of the House is full of climate change deniers who do not understand the science.

George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Dangerous climate change?

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

The member for Dawson is warned!

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They want to oppose any action on climate change. As the member for Wentworth said the other day, the Leader of the Opposition simply does not believe in the science of climate change.

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The question was a very straightforward one: what compensation will the government be providing to municipal councils, or will residents simply have to add rising council rates to their already stretched budgets?

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

Order! The point of order is direct relevance. I remind the Treasurer of the requirements. The Treasurer has the call.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We on this side of the House do believe in action on climate change, so we are going through that consultation.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order!

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And of course we don't have a final design, so it is impossible for anyone to be making the assertion such as the member for Aston has just made. But the member for Aston has had a little bit to say about this. In fact, recently, the member for Aston had this to say: that he didn't believe in the Liberal Party's so-called direct action policy.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! The Treasurer will relate his material directly to the question.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He doesn't know whether he is Arthur or Martha—in fact, many of them on that side of the House don't know either!

But for our part, on this side of the House, we will keep doing the responsible thing by Australia, the right thing for the long-term economic and social benefit of our nation. The Leader of the Opposition is absolutely incapable—

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

Order! The Treasurer.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

of facing up to the big decisions that we need to put in place to secure our prosperity and to secure our environment. He simply will not take the hard decisions. He wants to take the politically opportunistic path on every occasion—

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

Order! The Treasurer will bring his answer to a conclusion.

Opposition members interjecting—

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know they are acutely embarrassed by the stance of the Leader of the Opposition—absolutely acutely embarrassed by the fact that he is a climate change denier. And of course the member for Wentworth belled the cat on that. On this side of the House we will get on with dealing with climate change.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Before calling the member for Braddon, I simply say to those on my left that, if they wish me to make judgments about whether the responses are within the standing orders, it would assist if they sat there quietly so I could listen to those responses. I am not encouraged to take action when there is so much babble and interjection that it prevents me from making a proper judgment. The member for Braddon has the call.