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 her answer to a question from Senator Cormann yesterday in which she compared carbon pricing in Europe with that in Australia. Is the minister aware that under the European Union's ETS the EU expects to impose a 1,974 million tonnes of carbon cap on emissions in 2013? At current market prices of A$9.10 per tonne, the value of these permits would be $18 billion. Given that there are 512 million people in countries covered by the EU's ETS, this means that Europeans will pay just $35 per person in carbon taxes in 2013. In contrast, Labor expects to raise $7.7 billion in revenue from the sale of permits this financial year, equating to $340 per Australian. Does the minister accept that, in per person terms, Australia's carbon tax is at least nine times bigger than Europe's ETS?