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

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to this letter and electricity bill from Jamie Foster, who runs Advantage Engineering in Braeside. He states: 'We will now have to pay an extra $1,200 a month to operate. To stay competitive I cannot pass costs on, so that equates to one part-time employee's job. The carbon tax will cost people's jobs.' Treasurer, why did you tell Advantage Engineering before the last election that the introduction of a carbon tax was an hysterical allegation? (Time expired)

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

I certainly thank the member for that question because, like many members of this House, I have been a long-term believer in putting a price on carbon and doing that through an emissions trading scheme. Of course, that was the policy of the previous, Howard government, and it is the approach of every living Liberal leader. It was also the approach of the current Leader of the Opposition and it all changed when he got rid of the member for Wentworth.

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I am struggling to realise how he could be relevant to the question when he was in fact in favour of a citizens assembly before the last election. He was in fact in favour of a carbon tax—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Deputy Prime Minister has the call and will refer to the question before the chair.

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

I am, Madam Deputy Speaker. We have put a price on carbon to drive investment in particular in renewable energy. We have put in place a range of supports, particularly for trade exposed industries, and also for households. In terms of the impact on households, it has gone through the system, as the Treasury modelling said it would. I have not seen any particular amount or bill that the member is talking about. But if he is true to form with all the exaggeration that we have seen previously, it will simply be incorrect yet again.

Obviously the opposition has decided today that they want to resurrect their fear campaign. They can do that. But the truth is that the introduction of a price on carbon has gone very smoothly in our economy. The consequence of that will be that we will get a price on carbon. We will drive the investment in renewable energy. It will secure prosperity for the future. It will mean that we will continue to grow and to create jobs. A prosperous economy in the 21st century has got to be one which is driven by renewable energy. A price on carbon is for the long-term good of this country and it does not matter how much those opposite run a fear campaign; its introduction is there for all to see and it is not having the impact that those opposite have been claiming. We have not seen Whyalla wiped from the map, we have not seen the destruction of the Central Queensland coalfields—we have not seen any of those outcomes. We have not seen the wrecking ball through our economy. Those opposite now simply have no political strategy whatsoever.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to table the transcript from Meet the Press on 16 August 2010 where the Treasurer says that the introduction of the carbon tax was a 'hysterical allegation'.

Leave not granted.

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

I table the Sky News Australian Agenda transcript from yesterday with the Leader of the National Party. It is a ripper!