Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to a statement of Tom Maguire of Teys meatworks—a company on the carbon tax hit list—in my electorate. Mr Maguire said:

We could close this plant for a period of time in the year … and therefore our total emissions … would … be below 25,000 (tonnes).

Will the Prime Minister advise Teys meatworks what to do: shut down for a month or pay the carbon tax bill of some $600,000?

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

To the member's question: first and foremost I would refer him to the answer just given by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, who has explained very clearly and in great detail the circumstances of the meat industry.

Mr O'Dowd interjecting—

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

The member for Flynn will resume his seat; the Prime Minister has just commenced her answer. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

He has just explained the circumstances of the meat industry and some of the opportunities there are for people in the meat industry because of the way we put a price on carbon and because of the way the programs that we have set up to work with this industry are able to work with meat producers. If the member is directly concerned about the circumstances of this meat producer he should be referring to the minister's answer and to those opportunities.

To the member who asked the question: I am not surprised to receive this question from him, when he has said in this House in the past that there is no evidence that CO2 in the atmosphere controls the climate—that is, he denies the science; he denies that we need to do anything about carbon pollution. We know that there is a healthy constituency of deniers—

Mr Pyne interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will return to the question. The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Prime Minister will return to the question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: if you do not believe in the science then you do not believe in pricing carbon, and that is why it is relevant.

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call. She was asked a specific question and I would draw her back to the question before the chair.

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

Certainly there are opportunities for people in the meat industry; I refer the member to them. We are determined to cut carbon pollution. We know that the Leader of the Opposition supports putting a price on carbon and that he would keep this carbon price if he were ever Prime Minister—that is, he shares the belief of every other living Liberal leader. I understand the member who asked the question may have a different view about whether carbon should be priced, but this Leader of the Opposition certainly believes in pricing carbon and he will keep this carbon price if he is ever Prime Minister.