David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment. Will the minister inform the House how repealing the world's biggest carbon tax will lower taxes and ease the cost-of-living pressures placed on Australian households?

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

I want to thank the member for Banks for his question. He is not only a member with a distinguished career in business but also a member who fought for a Georges River recovery plan. It is great, after having had 32 questions on the environment from this side, to reflect on the fact that we have not had one question on the environment from that side. There was nothing about the Georges River recovery plan, nothing about the Yarra recovery plan, nothing about the Swan River recovery plan, nothing about the Torrens River and there is still nothing about our dugong and turtle protection plan.

I want to apologise to the House. Yesterday, I quoted from the member for Port Adelaide's community newsletter, and I omitted something. It is true that, almost a year ago, he said that the carbon tax had been terminated and it is true that he said it twice, but I neglected to mention that he also said that 'The decision to terminate the carbon tax will save an average family around $380 in 2014-15.'

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

This was at Townsville.

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

He was at Townsville. He was the third man at Townsville. There he was. He did not mention that not only were they keeping another version but also it went up every year between now and 2020 to $38. They recognised that if you abolished the carbon tax, prices would come down. Guess what? The same people doing the same modelling and coming to the same conclusions are the ones advising us. If you ask where our savings come from, the same people doing the same modelling are coming to the same conclusions.

The difference, however, is that when we get rid of the carbon tax, it is gone forever. When they say they terminate the carbon tax, firstly it is still here, secondly they are trying to keep it and thirdly they want to bring it back. Their own modelling shows the price they want to bring back will be $38 in 2020 but—wait for this!—their own modelling also shows that it goes up each year every year forever. By 2050, it will be a $350 per tonne tax. This is from their own modelling produced by the same people advising us. If you want to understand the impact on the economy, it is not just the savings this year but the savings each year. When we come to the next election, the carbon tax will be gone but they will be wanting to bring it back. The tax will go up and up and up, and that will not stop unless this government removes it and this government stays in office.