Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question today is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to the comments of the Mackay Canegrowers chairman, Paul Schembri, that a carbon tax would be 'a lead weight around the neck of the sugar industry'. Will the Treasurer guarantee that no job will be lost in the sugar industry as a result of the carbon tax?

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

I thank the member for his question. I will make the point again that we can grow strongly and we can at the same time substantially reduce carbon pollution. We can do that and we must do that if we are going to be a prosperous economy into the future. All of the modelling, all of the evidence and all of the reports that we have received show a number of things. They show that economic growth will remain strong. They also show that incomes growth will remain strong. They also show that jobs growth will remain strong. They show all of those things and they also show that the costs of inaction are far greater than the costs of action. They show that we can be a prosperous, growing economy where industries like the sugar industry do well.

We have heard a lot from a number of the members from regional Queensland—whether it is Mackay, Rockhampton, up around North Queensland or further up to Cairns—about growth. We know that we have a very strongly growing resource sector in that state, with very strong investment. We know that a carbon price will in no way endanger those industries. Those industries will be strong. Those industries will continue to grow and they will continue to grow because many of the investors in those industries have already factored a carbon price into their investments. We know all of those things.

What we have from those on the other side of the House is a continuing scare campaign. They know that other countries are moving to reduce their carbon pollution. They know that we are a great trading nation and that, if we do not take action in this area into the future, many of our great export industries could be in danger of trade sanctions from other countries. So, whether it is the sugar industry or whether it is the coal industry, everybody has a stake in putting in place a price on carbon so we can grow responsibly and reduce our carbon pollution.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

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

Treasurer, have you concluded? Yes, he has concluded.