Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. Will the minister confirm that Australians will continue to receive the energy supplement following the abolition of the world's biggest carbon tax? How will repealing this tax reduce the cost of living for all Australians?

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Petrie

This means that some 17,000 pensioners in the electorate of the member for Petrie will continue to receive the energy supplement. Not only will they receive the energy supplement but also they will have a twice-yearly increase in their pension and they will continue to receive the pension supplement. The 17,000 pensioners living in Redcliffe or Clontarf or surrounding areas such as Griffin in the electorate of the member for Petrie will continue to receive the energy supplement. It is not only the 17,000 pensioners in the honourable member's electorate who will benefit—some 12,500 recipients of family tax benefit part A will also continue to receive the energy supplement. And it is not just in the member for Petrie's electorate—it is in the electorates of every member in this place. Right around Australia millions of people will continue to receive the energy supplement; indeed, anybody currently receiving it will continue to receive it in the future.

The honourable member for Petrie also asked me about the coalition's commitment to scrap the carbon tax. Of course we are committed to scrapping the carbon tax because scrapping the carbon tax means a reduction, on average, of $550 for households around Australia on top of the energy supplement, which will continue to be paid to current recipients. The Labor Party said they were going to scrap the carbon tax but they are filibustering in the Senate to avoid scrapping the carbon tax. We on this side of the House believe that we should do what we said and scrap the carbon tax. Why doesn't the Labor Party get on board and do likewise?