Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment. I remind the minister that Colac Area Health's power bill has gone up by around $60,000, or 13 per cent, because of the carbon tax. How will the government's plan to abolish the carbon tax reduce electricity bills for organisations like Colac Area Health?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the member for Corangamite. We are concerned about electricity bills of all types. We are concerned about big electricity bills, we are concerned about nasty electricity bills and, above all else, we are concerned about puffed up, overinflated electricity bills that have risen beyond their natural level.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left will desist!

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Electricity bills can strike anyone at any time. They can strike any Tom, Dick, Harry, Kevin or Julia. You can be alone in your office and a nasty electricity bill walks through the door and ruins your whole day!

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left!

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So we are taking steps to deflate electricity bills. The member for Corangamite raises, as a dutiful member, the position of Colac Area Health. The Victorian government has belled the cat on the impact of the carbon tax on electricity bills. It is $60,000 on Colac Area Health. For the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, a $360,000 carbon tax impact on electricity bills. The Royal Children's Hospital, according to the Victorian government, has a $729,000 carbon tax impact on their electricity bill. The entire Victorian health system has a $13½ million impact on its electricity bill as a result of the carbon tax and a $132 million impact between now and 2020.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Ms Owens interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs will desist, as will the member for Parramatta.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me just repeat that: a $132 million impact on Victorian health costs as a result of the carbon tax between now and 2020. So we are taking steps, Prime Minister. Only two hours ago, this side of the House voted to repeal the carbon tax and to take away the $60,000 impact, which the member for Corangamite raises with regards to Colac Area Health. Only two hours ago that side of the House, the ALP which promised to terminate the carbon tax, voted to keep it. They voted for a $60,000 tax on Colac Area Health. They voted for the $360,000 tax on the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the $729,000 tax on the Royal Children's Hospital. We will pass this legislation and we will not stop until it is repealed. They are the only people standing between Australians and lower electricity prices. (Time expired)