Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

There were quite a number of propositions in that question with which the evidence does not agree and the government does not agree with. I have said many times in this place that it is clear from the Treasury modelling that we can grow the Australian economy, we can grow jobs and we can grow incomes with a carbon price. Similarly, we can grow jobs in Queensland and increase incomes and jobs with a carbon price.

I take issue and the government takes issue with the statements made in the question by Senator Brandis. It is simply a regurgitation of the fear campaign that we have seen for a very long time now from those opposite, who seem to forget that they did go to the 2007 election with a policy for a carbon price for an emissions trading scheme—something Mr Turnbull argued very strongly for, something that was not contingent upon the world moving as fast. That was John Howard's policy and that was the Liberal Party's policy.

I would make two points on carbon pricing. First, I refer the senator to a report released on 19 March which goes through carbon prices internationally and shows that many countries have or are implementing higher carbon prices than those in the Clean Energy Act. There are expectations of a carbon price of $24 to $30 a tonne in Britain, $130 a tonne in Sweden, $30 to $60 a tonne in Switzerland, $53 a tonne in Norway and $24 to $37 a tonne in Ireland. I would finally make the point that the Treasury modelling projects the economy of Queensland to grow by 42 per cent to 2020 alone and by 212 per cent by 2050, with increased employment by 2020 with a carbon price.