Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Milne for her contribution. Embracing the future means getting rid of the carbon tax, because getting rid of the carbon tax helps build a stronger, more prosperous economy. It helps create jobs. It helps to reduce cost-of-living expenses. It helps families. It helps pensioners. It helps small businesses. It helps big businesses. It helps Australia attract investment. It is very good news for Australia if we finally get rid of the carbon tax.

Obviously, as we have said for a very long time, the government is committed to ensuring that the cost reductions that electricity generators, for example, are able to benefit from as a direct result of the repeal of the carbon tax are appropriately passed through to consumers and to small business. We have already made a series of provisions to make sure that that does happen. The Palmer United Party put forward some sensible amendments to ensure that that could be put even further beyond doubt.

As far as the government is concerned, the overarching objective of this government is to deliver on the clear commitment we made in the lead-up to the last election, which was to get rid of the carbon tax so that we can bring down the cost of living for families and for pensioners, so that we can bring down the cost of doing business in Australia, so that we can facilitate stronger job creation and so that we can provide opportunities for everyone to get ahead. Of course, this government is totally committed to doing everything we can to ensure that any reductions in the cost of generating electricity, generating energy, as a result of getting rid of the carbon tax are properly passed through to consumers and to small businesses. All of the regulators that set electricity prices have come out to say that that is what is happening. A number of the private energy generators have already made it very clear that they are committed to passing through the cost reductions that come as a direct result of the repeal of the carbon tax. The ACCC has powers and will have powers to ensure that they can take appropriate action to make sure that any cost reductions as a result of the repeal of the carbon tax are properly passed through.

Today is when the Senate, including the Labor Party, has the opportunity to finally rid the Australian people of this bad tax.

The CHAIRMAN: The time allocated for the remaining stages of these bills has now expired. I remind senators that under a guillotine I will put the question before the chair, and then the further amendments circulated at least two hours prior to this time. The question now is that in respect of the Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 [No.2]—