Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment. I remind the minister that the carbon tax was a $7.6 billion hit on the Australian economy in its first year of operation, with no meaningful reduction in emissions. Will the minister explain why the carbon tax must be repealed immediately?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

I hope the member for Flinders was able to hear the question, because I had difficulty. Did he hear the question?

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

I was able to hear. I would like to thank the member for McPherson, who has come to this place with a tremendously successful career in small business, and brought that to her judgement on these matters. I am delighted that the Leader of the Opposition has today taken an interest in mandates, taxes and the cost of living—because it is a little bit overdue. If the Leader of the Opposition is interested in mandates, taxes and the cost of living, he can get the trifecta in one hit. That one hit is to repeal the carbon tax. You can repeal the carbon tax.

We have had all of this confected indignation today. 'I am terribly concerned,' says the Leader of the Opposition, 'about cost of living. And I am terribly concerned about taxes. And I am terribly concerned about mandates,' except when it comes to the carbon tax. So there is a way forward for the Leader of the Opposition. If he has any semblance of commitment to any of the concepts which he has suddenly discovered today, he can chat to his senators. Instead, what is happening at the moment is that he is telling his senators to stand in the way of a $7.6 billion—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order. The minister was asked about his government's policies—not the opposition's. If he wants to speak about the government's policies and taxes on carbon, he can talk about the petrol tax increase that is coming in tonight.

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

There is no point of order. The minister has the call.

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

Our policy is to abolish the carbon tax; yours is to keep it. That is a pretty significant difference. We have here the confected indignation of 'Mr Mandate'. Now he is telling us that keeping mandates is so important. If it means anything, start with the central point on which this government were elected and allow us to abolish the carbon tax. This tax, as the member for McPherson set out, is a $7.6 billion hit on Australian industry and Australian families. If you are worried about families, worry about the $550 which you, the Leader of the Opposition, could relieve them of each and every year going forward. You could do that right now. Speak to your senators and, if you want to give us the passage to repeal them, we will bring back the carbon tax bills this week. Our policy is to repeal the carbon tax; your policy is to break your election commitment to terminate the carbon tax. Your policy is to stand in the way of our mandate to abolish the carbon tax. We can save Australian firms $7.6 billion. We can save Australian families $550 a year. We can reduce the cost of living. We can improve Australian competitiveness. All we need is for the Leader of the Opposition to give the word.