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

The senator verballed me in the second question, which is not unusual for him—when the facts do not give rise to a scare campaign, let's just make the facts up. The reality is that we have always made clear, as have the opposition, our objective in terms of reduction by 2020. That has been the basis on which the discussion has proceeded. In fact, it is the same basis on which the opposition's policy is predicated: five per cent by 2020. I am sure the opposition would not be able to tell anybody how much abatement each year will occur, and what they certainly do not want to do is tell people how much it will cost them under their system—$1,300 per year per household. That is what the opposition are going to impose—$1,300 more in tax that would have to be paid by Australian households to reach the outcome that they also have signed up to. They do not like to tell people that.

This question fundamentally goes to whether or not we should have a carbon price. The government believes we should. (Time expired)