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

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Conroy—Eddie's boy. I refer the minister to comments made by the Prime Minister on ABC Sydney on 9 August last year. In that interview the Prime Minister said in reference to the impact of the carbon tax that what they will certainly see is a 10 per cent rise in power price bills. We have always said it would be a 10 per cent rise. I also refer the minister to a survey by the Australian Industry Group of 485 businesses, which showed that they report an average 14.5 per cent increase in their power bills due to the carbon tax. Why is the carbon tax imposing a bigger impost on Australian business than what the Prime Minister promised?