Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the government's plans to reduce power prices? What stands in the way of lower power prices for Australian families?

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

I do thank the member for Bass for his question and I can assure him that what is standing in the way of lower power prices for Australians is the carbon tax. That is what is standing in the way of lower power prices for Australians and for Tasmanians. The only person standing in the way of the repeal of the carbon tax is the Leader of the Opposition sitting opposite me today. The only person who is standing in the way of the repeal of the carbon tax is the Leader of the Opposition. He said he wanted to terminate the carbon tax pre-election, but now he wants to perpetuate it, because he just doesn't get it. He doesn't get the fact that the carbon tax is an impost of nine per cent on every Australian's power bill; he doesn't get it that the carbon tax adds $9 billion a year to the cost in our economy; and he just doesn't grasp the fact that the carbon tax is a $550 a year hit on the average household's costs.

It must go and I am confident that the carbon tax will go when the legislation goes before the Senate in the next fortnight. I do welcome the statement of the member for Fairfax that he and his senators will support the government's legislation to repeal the carbon tax. The member for Fairfax is absolutely right: abolishing the carbon tax will make our industries more competitive and it will make our people's lives more manageable. I do look forward to working with the member for Fairfax and crossbench senators to ensure that all the savings from the abolition of the carbon tax are passed on to consumers.

Who is left supporting the carbon tax? Only the Leader of the Opposition, who is in denial about the election result. He's got Senator Hanson-Young dictating his border protection policy; he's got Senator Christine Milne dictating his carbon tax policy. Every time your power bill goes up, there is the Leader of the Opposition with a smile on his face, because that is his carbon tax doing its job. Every time you turn on your heater, there is the Leader of the Opposition making it more expensive. This government will deliver on its commitment to abolish the carbon tax, and I am delighted the crossbench senators will deliver on their commitment to abolish this toxic tax once and for all.

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

Before I call the honourable member for Charlton, the Leader of the House has indicated to me that members who are sitting towards the back of the government side of the House are finding it very hard to hear from the government's microphone. Could I ask that those microphones be checked in the sound system, please.