Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Is the Acting Prime Minister aware that yesterday's Brisbane City Council budget revealed that the carbon tax will cost Brisbane residents $15.8 million in the 2012-13 financial year and that this tax represents 42 per cent of the total rate increase? Does the Acting Prime Minister describe the carbon tax accounting for 42 per cent of the rate increase as a tiny fraction in the same way as he described the carbon tax accounting for 50 per cent of the rise in New South Wales electricity prices as a tiny fraction? (Time expired)

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

I thank the member for Ryan for her question, because what we are seeing here from the Brisbane City Council is nothing more and nothing less than a cash grab, and they are attempting to do this under the guise of carbon pricing. That is the truth of it. It cannot be justified. It is a rort for the Brisbane City Council. The mayor of Brisbane should be ashamed of what he has done, because the truth is that what he has done does not stand up to scrutiny. It is not a fair way to describe the costs of the carbon price and all he is doing is ripping off ratepayers in Brisbane.