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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that he has done a dirty deal with Clive Palmer to give taxpayers' money to Australia's dirtiest, biggest polluters to keep polluting?

Mr Hockey interjecting—

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

I call the honourable, the Prime Minister. The Treasurer will desist so that we can hear the Prime Minister.

Mr Shorten interjecting—

The Leader of the Opposition will not interject. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I say to the Leader of the Opposition that we are always seeking to implement the policies we took to the election. We took direct action—

Mr Shorten interjecting—

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

I said the Leader of the Opposition will desist interjecting. It is either that or he leaves.

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

We took a policy to the election which was to save the Australian people from the pernicious carbon tax but to tackle climate change through a direct action policy that would result in more trees, better soils and smarter technology, and we continue to try to secure the passage of that legislation through the Senate. Our objective is to try to ensure that this parliament recognises the mandate that this government sought and this government got at the election. That is what we are doing.

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment. Will the minister outline what savings have been passed on to families and businesses in Victoria since the government scrapped the world's biggest carbon tax? Are there any threats to these savings?

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

I want to thank the member for Corangamite, who voted to repeal the carbon tax because we had, as the Prime Minister said, a mandate to repeal that carbon tax. The Australian people voted for us to have the capacity to repeal the carbon tax, and the members of the government did just that. So today we have had noise from the opposition, some sort of concerns after they themselves voted to oppose repealing the carbon tax. I seem to have some information from the member for Corangamite's own electorate, received just this week. It is a letter from Australian Lamb on the abolition of the carbon tax:

Dear Sarah, we estimate that due to the recent abolition of the carbon tax we will save approximately $200,000 per annum.

And the letter goes on:

Situated in regional Victoria, this not only supports our business but supports the township of Colac as a whole.

Ms MacTiernan interjecting—

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

The member for Perth will desist!

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

That is the reality. We have taken a policy to an election, we have sought a mandate, we have spoken to the Australian people, we have won that mandate and then we did what we said we would do: we brought repeal of the carbon tax to this place and we succeeded. And in towns like Colac, there are real world benefits. Right across Victoria, we saw a $3.1 billion hit over the last two years. Now that is gone and that means lower electricity prices and lower gas prices. It means a reduction of up to 12.4 per cent in electricity prices. It means a reduction of up to 10.5 per cent gas prices. These are things that have a real world impact on pensioners, seniors, farmers, manufacturing businesses and businesses such as Australian Lamb in Colac. Yet, there is a question whether or not there is a threat to this. There is. The stated policy, the declared policy, the intended policy of the Leader of the Opposition and the entire Labor Party is to bring back the carbon tax. It does not matter what they call it. It is to increase electricity prices, it is to increase gas prices and it is to put another $200,000 back onto the bill of Australian Lamb. That is their policy, that is their intent and that is their goal. We will not do that. We oppose a carbon tax—lock, stock and barrel. We oppose an ETS—lock, stock and barrel. We will not be bringing one back. They will. They are for higher electricity prices. We are for lower electricity prices.

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

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.