Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Last week Woolworths said in relation to the carbon price: 'Just as prices didn't increase when the tax was introduced, we don't expect any substantial change should it be repealed.' Will the Prime Minister stand by his promise and guarantee that grocery prices will now fall $10 a week?

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

Why won't the Leader of the Opposition stand by his promise and terminate the carbon tax? What kind of a fibber is the Leader of the Opposition when he refuses to terminate the carbon tax he repeatedly promised?

Mr Burke interjecting—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. His last point of order was a clear breach of the standing orders. If this one is, then I will not be taking too much notice of his standing. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

When the carbon tax goes—

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order: the Prime Minister very clearly should withdraw his reflection on the Leader of the Opposition.

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

To assist the House, I think I heard comments from both sides of the leadership table that we could do without, so we can have both withdraw I think.

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

I withdraw.

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

And that includes the Leader of the Opposition.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Certainly.

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

Certainly what?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I simply ask the Leader of the Opposition to do what he said he would do pre-election and terminate the carbon tax.

Mr Shorten interjecting—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will put his prop down!

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

Let me quote, for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition, the Chairman of the ACCC, Rod Sims, who said of the repeal of the carbon tax:

What went up will clearly come down when you take away the carbon price.

And for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition, again let me quote Rod Sims:

It's not a massively complicated process. Electricity prices went up fairly quickly on the way up and they will go down fairly immediately on the way down.

So there it is: what went up with the carbon tax will come down when the carbon tax comes off. And I say to the Leader of the Opposition: come out of denial, do after the election what you said you would do before the election and terminate the carbon tax.

Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, my question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline the economic importance of repealing the carbon tax?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

We will have some silence on my left!

Mr Husic interjecting—

Including from the member for Chifley!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a very good question. In fact, a couple of weeks ago the Minister for Trade and I met with the most senior economic minister in China, and in his opening statement he said how important it was for Australia to abolish the carbon tax and the mining tax. The most senior economic minister in China, who is responsible for dealing with carbon emissions in China, praised Australia's abolition of the carbon tax. And I say to you: that reflects the importance to the economy of the abolition of the carbon tax, because while it remains in place it costs Australia $11 million every day. Repealing the carbon tax will not only save business $85 million a year but it will also boost competitiveness for 76,000 entities that will no longer have to comply with a carbon tax.

The bottom line is we will strengthen the Australian economy by abolishing the carbon tax, and that means more jobs and better economic security. It makes us a more competitive nation. It was identified by the Prime Minister of Canada, when he and this Prime Minister jointly stated how important it was to get rid of carbon tax.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Stephen Harper in case you do not know. I say to the Leader of the Opposition: he must recognise that next Wednesday is a historic day. This coming Wednesday is a historic day not because it is the anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11—or the birth of the parking meter for those who are interested in trivia; next Wednesday is the first anniversary of the Townsville termination. That was the famous press conference where the then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and the member for McMahon stood there and said, 'Today is the day the Labor Party is terminating the carbon tax.' The Townsville termination. We cannot forget that moment. The member for McMahon was there: he was like Robin standing next to Batman, wearing the face mask, claiming, 'I'll be right there with you, Batman.' In fact, the only termination the Leader of the Opposition is familiar with is the termination of Julia Gillard, the termination of Kevin Rudd the first time, and he put Kevin Rudd back into the prime ministership to terminate the carbon tax.

Yet, today is going to be the third day that the Labor Party has indeed voted against the termination of the carbon tax. So they said before the election that they would terminate the carbon tax, and on every occasion since the election they have voted to keep the carbon tax. There is one lesson we can get out of this, one thing you can be absolutely sure of—

Ms Butler interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

no matter what Labor does at this very moment, at the next election, should they win, they will want to reintroduce the carbon tax, they will want to punish the Australian economy.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, my question is to the Prime Minister. On 30 May 2011 the then opposition leader said that the carbon tax would mean 'a $6,000 increase in the price of a new home'. Will the Prime Minister stand by his promise and guarantee that the prices of new homes will fall by $6,000?

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

Madam Speaker, of course I stand by my statements, and, yes, the cost of building a new home will fall very significantly once the carbon tax is abolished. The Leader of the Opposition knows this very well—

Ms Butler interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith is warned!

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

because before the last election, the Leader of the Opposition and his colleagues put out a brochure all around Australia. 'Kevin Rudd and Labor remove the carbon tax'. It is like they ended the deficit as well. They abolished the carbon tax like they ended the deficit.

But here it is, a document that the Labor Party distributed right around Australia, and they make all sorts of claims. Interest rates, they say they reduced those—I doubt that. School expenses, they say they reduced—well I certainly doubt that!

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order of direct relevance. This is a long way from the cost of a new home—a long way.

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

There is no point of order. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Child care they claim is '50 per cent off'; in fact, childcare costs rose by 73 per cent during the life of the former government. And then it says, 'Carbon tax abolished'.' I am not making it up. Here it is in black and white; a brochure from Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party. It is here in red, white and blue in fact!

Mr Shorten interjecting—

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

No props! We will not have competing props!

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

It is here in red, white and blue from Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party: 'Carbon tax abolished'. Kevin Rudd and Labor removed the carbon tax! Well, I do not know what they have been doing since the election. If they removed the carbon tax since the election, why have they been voting for it after the election—three times? Methinks I thought the cock crowed! Three times this morning! Really and truly, hypocrisy, thy name is Labor: in denial about the election result, in denial about the debt and deficit disaster and in denial about the damage the carbon tax does. I table, for the benefit of members opposite, this document.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

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

The member for Moreton has been warned. One more utterance and he will leave.