Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will address my comments through the chair. We know that the government said before the election that there would be no carbon tax. That has been spoken about a lot throughout the community, in this chamber and in the other place. We know that this carbon tax will increase the cost of everything without actually reducing Australia's emissions or the globe's temperature. We know that this tax is not supported by the Australian people. To further add insult to injury to the economy, they intend to ram their carbon tax legislation through the parliament without proper scrutiny. If Labor truly believe that this carbon tax is in the best interests of Australia then they should not fear scrutiny of this legislation. Australians only have until Thursday to get their submissions in to this, as Senator Birmingham called it, shotgun inquiry. There are 19 bills, more than 1,100 pages of new laws for Australia and they have allowed less then four weeks for public comment. Labor knows Australians do not want this tax but it is handcuffed to the Greens. It is a tax that will cost jobs, drive up prices and hurt the economy but will not reduce Australia's carbon emissions—

An opposition senator: Not one bit.

not one bit. Labor is in denial of the facts and clearly does not want the Australian people to have their say. The Australian Labor Party should rename itself the Australian Taxation Party because what drives it in 2011 is finding more ways to take money from people to fund its own causes and its own misuse. Why doesn't Labor want to go to the Australian people for them to have a say on carbon tax? Because the government's own figures say that three million households will be worse off under a carbon tax. Three million Australian households will be worse off and should have an opportunity to express their opinion to the committee inquiry. But, no, Labor is effectively silencing them.

Not only will three million Australian households be worse off but this could not be a worse time for Australians who are in the manufacturing industry. Australia's manufacturing sector is already under enormous pressure. A carbon tax will increase costs, which overseas competitors do not have to pay. Jobs will go offshore to factories which will emit more emissions than Australian manufacturers, and, under the current economic circumstances, businesses cannot afford another tax. Australian businesses will be at a major disadvantage. There will be no level playing field when it comes to a carbon tax. Australian jobs will be sent offshore for no good environmental gain. The tax will push up the price of electricity, gas, transport and food. Airfares will increase because the tax applies to aviation fuels, and freight transport is only exempt until after the next election. It is simply a device to redistribute, a huge money-go-round where some big companies are to be recompensed because otherwise they will be at a huge disadvantage compared to their competitors overseas. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.