Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to 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 the statement regarding carbon tax compensation made by the minister for regional development that ‘we will return all of the moneys raised to people through the tax mechanism’. Is this true? Will all the money raised by the carbon tax be directed to Australian families and households as stated by the minister for regional development?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just say he got it wrong.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Would you like to answer the question, Senator?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Question time will be assisted, once the question has been asked, by allowing the minister to address the question rather than there being further interjections.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister and the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency have made clear that every cent raised by the carbon price will go to households, business and tackling climate change, and that households will come first. I think they are very clear about that. Of course, as a Labor government, the assistance package will always reflect the values of a Labor government—that is, we will provide assistance which is fair, assistance that will target people who need it most such as low-income Australians and pensioners. Obviously, the detail of this is something that has not yet been determined because we are still in the process of designing what the carbon price mechanism will look like. There are a whole range of questions around industry assistance, transitional assistance, household assistance, as well as, for example, scope, coverage and the actual price. I know that even Senator Birmingham, who was once a moderate and used to say that we should act on climate change, is anxious to jump on board with the scare campaign that those in the Liberal Party, who will do anything to oppose carbon pricing, are engaged in. I know that he is trying to demonstrate that he is as tough as Cory Bernardi on this issue—he might have some trouble—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Question time is not the time to work out who is moderate and who is not moderate. I ask both sides to desist from trying to make that judgment at this time and save it for some other time. Senator Wong, continue with your answer. You have 29 seconds remaining.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the answer is clear on that: there are no moderates left because they are all backing Mr Abbott and his pretty extreme views. We wonder where they were when Mr Morrison put his contribution in the shadow cabinet. Senator Birmingham, there is a process underway to design this reform in consultation with the multiparty committee and the Australian community. We are serious about doing that carefully and we will do that. (Time expired)

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer the minister to the statement by her successor as the minister for climate change, the minister responsible for this policy area, that he ‘does not expect any significant impact on the overall cost of living of our carbon price’. Does this statement apply to all Australians or just some? If only some, how many will face a significant impact and how many will be worse off?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have not even set a price. Let us be clear about what Senator Birmingham is trying to do. He is trying to do what Mr Abbott does so well which is to create a whole heap of figures and create a whole heap of facts that oppose everything. He tells people that all these bad things are going to happen, and he is not upfront on this point: we have not even set a price as yet because we are working through the sorts of policy issues to which I have alluded. So to come into this place—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You were the climate change minister for three years; what did you do?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald, I will take that interjection. We did put all this information out prior to the last vote in this place and it made absolutely no difference to you because it does not matter how much information is out there, you will still be on the troglodyte side, voting down any reform—as you always do, Senator. The reality is that we will work through these issues and deal with the policy issues that you are describing. As yet, the government have not made those decisions. (Time expired)

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is it not the case that there will be significant impact, that many people will be worse off and that at most 50 per cent of the moneys raised will be returned to people? Why is minister after minister in this government simply following the Prime Minister’s example and grossly misrepresenting the truth in relation to this carbon tax?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the question about gross misrepresentation of the truth ought to be turned on the other side. We are going through a process of designing a carbon price, including dealing with the issues that you are talking about. We have said that every cent raised by the carbon price will go to Australian households and businesses and towards tackling climate change. Those are the parameters that we have put in place. Senator Birmingham is coming in here and saying that there are going to be all these people who will be dreadfully worse off on the basis of no facts whatsoever.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They are your ministers.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No facts whatsoever, Senator Birmingham. The reality is that you will do and say anything to not take action on climate change. You are intent on running a scare campaign and everyone knows that.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This minister is out of control.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The shouting from my left is undoubtedly out of control. Senator Wong, you have 12 seconds remaining.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those on the other side do not want the facts in this debate. All they want to do is scaremonger rather than look to do the responsible thing for the nation.