Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The approach adopted by the opposition is fundamentally dishonest in that it seeks to pretend that the major driver of electricity price increases in this country is driven by the carbon price. They know that is false and no-one else asserts it. They also know that the family assistance measures introduced by this government have provided funding that is greater than the costs incurred by the increase in electricity prices driven by the carbon price. These are family assistance measures that the coalition seek to reverse. They seek to reverse the assistance we provided to meet the cost of paying—

An opposition senator: We'll repeal the carbon tax.

You never will, Senator, you never will. We know you will not reverse the price on carbon. We know you will not do that. We are interested in protecting Australian families from excessive cost increases and that is what we are about.