Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Senator Wong. I refer the minister to the fact that each tonne of aluminium produces around 16 tonnes of carbon dioxide and that under a $23 a tonne carbon tax our aluminium sector will face a $368 per tonne additional marginal cost. With aluminium prices around $1,800 per tonne, the carbon tax will in effect make Australian aluminium smelters 20 per cent less efficient than smelters overseas. Given that the government claims that a cost impact of this severity did not cause the 244 job losses at Kurri Kurri or the difficulties currently being experienced at Alcoa's Point Henry plant, what other industries does the government believe can suffer a 20 per cent deterioration in their international competitiveness and not lose jobs overseas and still thrive?