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

I thank Senator Joyce for his question. First, in relation to aluminium, as I said yesterday, notwithstanding the attempt by those opposite to make political capital out of the difficulties in the aluminium sector, we on this side understand the pressures on the aluminium sector. As I referred to in the context of Alcoa yesterday, these pressures relate to the current global market and the price of aluminium on that market and the high dollar, which is having an impact on this sector and on a number of others.

Rather than go into a detailed discussion of aluminium, I will address the question at the heart of it, which goes to the longer term issue of jobs across Australia. I will make the point in relation to aluminium that, because we are concerned to ensure that we manage the transition to a clean energy economy, the aluminium sector is entitled under the government's clean energy package—as I outlined yesterday—to a very substantial provision of free permits for the core smelting activity. That means that the effective carbon price on those activities is not the amount that Senator Joyce raised but is in fact $1.30 per tonne, which is obviously substantially less than $23 per tonne.

On the broader proposition about jobs, I again make the point that this government intervened to support jobs. While we have been in government, over 800,000 jobs have been created in this country. At a time when we have seen most advanced economies going backwards, Australia has created jobs—no thanks to the opposition, who not only opposed stimulus but are also intent on a scare campaign. I remind the senator that the modelling shows that we can increase jobs with a carbon tax. (Time expired)