Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Australia's self-sufficiency in oil throughout the last half-century saw it send, in 2001, under $1 billion to the Middle East. Australia now sends $23 billion. Since foreign oil pays only 6c tax, whereas Australian ethanol pays 40c, and since Minister Macfarlane is proposing a bowser tax of 40c, is the Prime Minister going to adopt the biofuels policy of the USA and Brazil, both nearing self-sufficiency, or the Minister for Industry's policy, which the NRMA report says will see the abolition of all Australian production in 15 years.

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

The member for Kennedy's time has elapsed but he also neglected to say to whom the question was addressed.

Opposition members interjecting—

To whom is the question addressed?

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister.

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

The question is addressed to Prime Minister. I think sufficient of it was heard.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank the member for Kennedy for his question and I acknowledge his deep commitment to the ethanol industry, which is shared by a number of members in this House, particularly the member for Dawson, who is sitting very close to the member for Kennedy. I wish to make two fundamental points in response to the member for Kennedy. First, this is a government which is determined to keep faith with businesses which have made investment decisions honestly and fairly on the basis of government policy. Second, this is a government which will do its best to ensure as far as is humanly possible a level playing field between the domestically produced and the imported product. We will do our best to ensure that there is a level playing field. As for the policies of the United States and Brazil which the member for Kennedy refers to, I will gladly have a look at those policies and see whether they are instructive for us, but I do have to point out to him and to all members that, in the end, the policy that we adopt in this country, as far as this government is concerned, will be based very much on Australia's national interests.