Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We would see more heat related deaths and higher temperatures could lead to the spread of tropical diseases, including dengue fever. The potential loss of infrastructure is another reason why we need to take action. Many Queenslanders live along the beautiful coastlines, but they will be at risk from rising sea levels. The department states that a sea level rise of 1.1 metres would have an enormous impact on Queensland infrastructure, with 48,000 to 67,000 residential buildings, 4,700 kilometres of roads, 5,700 kilometres of railway lines and 1,440 commercial buildings at risk, at a cost of more than $30 billion.

All of these reasons are exactly why we need to implement our clean energy future package to ensure any future damage is prevented. Our package will ensure that those who emit a high level of carbon pollution will pay a price. By putting a price on carbon we provide an incentive for clean energy investments and we will see high-polluting industries move to cleaner practices which will therefore reduce our nation's carbon emissions. Many industries will be compensated through our package to ensure that our move to a cleaner economy is not a burden. This includes our Jobs and Competitiveness Program, our Clean Technology Food and Foundries Investment Program and the Clean Technology Investment Program.

Mr Tony Abbott has been going around the country with his scare campaign, telling everyone the cost of living is going to increase significantly. He has gone into butcher shops to wrangle a sausage or whatever he does—where they will accept him. Some shops have declined to have him in the shop. He has gone into car yards. He has gone into wrecking yards. He has gone anywhere that will open the doors and listen to the absolute nonsense that he preaches to those poor individuals, who no doubt do not invite him back again once they hear his terrible rhetoric on climate change.

According to Treasury modelling on the cost of living, there will be a 0.7 per cent increase in the overall consumer price index. Let's not forget about the assistance the government will be providing to householders. Nine out of ten households will receive assistance either through tax cuts or payment increases. Nearly six million Australian households will receive assistance that is more than what the price impacts are, and four million households will receive 120 per cent of the price impact to make sure they have room to move. We will be increasing the tax-free threshold, which means more than a million people will not have to lodge a tax return at all.

Yesterday the coalition said that putting a price on carbon would affect community groups and not-for-profit organisations. Today they say it is the tourism industry. Under the coalition's direct action policy everyone would be affected. Householders would be worse off under Mr Tony Abbott's plan. They would have to fork out $1,300 per household each year to fund a policy which will not work. We know it will not work. We know that the problems with this direct action plan will mean that there will be a need to plant enough trees to cover the state of Tasmania five times—your state, Deputy President. That is the equivalent of planting enough trees to cover a land mass the size of Victoria and Tasmania together. It would be a mammoth task on its own to try and achieve that sort of outcome and it is a task that will not be achieved.

The independent Grattan Institute has estimated that there will be a $100 billion black hole in his costings as a result of this direct action policy. That is a third of the entire federal budget as a cost on its own. Treasury estimates that without international permits it will cost $30 billion in today's dollars in 2020. As I indicated earlier, taxpayers will have to pay $1,300 per household. So the coalition really needs to stop this negativity and scare campaign and work with the government to reach a solution to ensure that our children and their children are able to enjoy the future as we as parents enjoy this current climate and the situation at hand.