Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

We've also learnt this week that the Labor Party wants to make the cattle industry carbon neutral. Those of us who know the cattle industry would know that each beast emits about 60 kilograms of methane a year. That's around 30 times potent in carbon dioxide. So each beast over its three-year average life, before it's slaughtered, would average around five tonnes of carbon dioxide. Modelling done by the respected economist Brian Fisher, who used to head up ABARES, shows that Labor's plans would need a carbon price of $300 a tonne. That means that Labor's plans would add $1,600 a head to every beast in this country—

Senator Williams interjecting—

which is more than their value—thanks, Wacka—most of the time. That would add about five to six bucks a kilo to your meat prices in your shops, so snags would go up double and mince would go up about 50 per cent under a Labor Party that doesn't back farmers and wants to put the bill on average Australian households.