John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Senator Wong. I refer the minister to the statement made by John Berry a director of JBS Australia, the company which owns Australia's largest abattoir, which claims that the carbon tax will add $3.3 million in costs to the abattoir at Dinmore, near Ipswich, in Queensland. JBS employs nearly 2,000 workers in Dinmore and almost another 4,000 in rural Australian abattoirs such as those in Townsville, Rockhampton, Yanco, Cobram, Bordertown and Devonport. Can the minister explain why the government is putting the jobs of meat processors at risk by imposing the biggest carbon tax in the world ahead of any move to introduce prices on carbon in Australia's major beef export competitors such as the United States and Brazil?