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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to this electricity bill from Michael Fahey in my electorate that clearly states that the carbon tax has increased his cheapest rate of electricity by 30 per cent. As Mr Fahey has an electricity bill that has now climbed to over $3,000 a year, will the Prime Minister apologise to Mr Fahey, his family and the millions of Australian households who will be now worse off because of this toxic carbon tax?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, we see the fear campaign continue. The member who asked that question may want to explain to that business that the 50 and 60 per cent increases that people have seen in electricity prices in Queensland are nothing to do with the carbon price. The Leader of the Opposition today has acknowledged that there are dramatic increases in electricity that are nothing to do with the carbon price. The member might not like the fact, and the Leader of the Opposition might have been dragged kicking and screaming to the facts, but they are facts.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This is a household. It is not a business.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Ryan will resume her seat. There is no additional debate. A clarification was given.

Mrs Griggs interjecting—

The member for Solomon is not assisting.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I misunderstood. I thought the member was referring to a business. What I have just said is correct for businesses: the big increases they have seen in power prices in Queensland come from other areas, not the carbon price. The Leader of the Opposition has acknowledged today that there are other sources of dramatic increases in power bills.

What we have always said for Australian families is that they would see a 10 per cent increase in their electricity bill, and that has been acknowledged by the regulators as right. They will see a 10 per cent increase in their electricity bill, a 10 per cent increase in what they pay. Because they will see that 10 per cent increase, which on average for families is $3.30 a week, we have provided, on average, assistance of $10.10 a week in the form of tax cuts, in the form of pension increases and in the form of family payment increases. These are the facts and no amount of fear campaigning changes those facts. No amount of fear campaigning today will distract from the Leader of the Opposition's plan to cut funding to every public school in the member for Ryan's electorate.