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

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister. I remind the minister of the Prime Minister's commitment that 'there will be no carbon tax under a government I lead'. Why, then, does Australia have the world's biggest carbon tax?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Wait a minute, Senator Cormann. Order! On my right. Senator Cormann, like every other senator, is entitled to be heard in silence. When there is silence we will proceed. On both sides.

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

Thank you, Mr President. I again remind the minister that the Prime Minister made an emphatic promise before the last election that there would be no carbon tax under a government she leads. Why, then, does Australia have the biggest carbon tax in the world? It is a tax which is about to get bigger when Labor will hit families and businesses with yet another five per cent increase in the carbon tax.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank and congratulate the senator on memorising that, this morning, in front of the mirror. In the election three years ago the Prime Minister said, 'Australia needed to act on climate change,' which is something that was not dissimilar to what Mr Howard said in 2007 and which was signed off by all of those deniers today. The Prime Minister said that our country needed to put a price on dangerous carbon pollution. That is exactly what John Howard wanted to do in 2007. It is what Mr Tony Abbott agreed when he was in cabinet. It is what Mr Abbott said in 2009. Just last week, as has already been mentioned by my colleague, China put a price on carbon. Last night President Obama set out how the world's largest economy is tackling climate change. We welcome President Obama's comments. They show that the world's largest economy is committed.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Conroy, just resume your seat. On my left and my right, if you wish to debate it, you debate it after three o'clock. I am entitled to listen to Senator Conroy in silence. Senator Conroy, continue.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. As I was saying, we welcome President Obama's comments. They show that the world's largest economy is committed to tackling climate change. President Obama's plan takes action to cut carbon pollution in America. It prepares the US for the impacts of climate change and to lead international efforts to address global climate change. He said that he would establish carbon pollution standards— (Time expired)

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister explain why the Gillard Labor government designed its carbon tax, already the biggest carbon tax in the world, as a tax which will go up and up every year when families are already struggling to cope with cost-of-living pressures and businesses are already getting hit with massive increases in the cost of doing business in Australia?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

An oldie but a goodie is back—that python squeeze; that wrecking ball; Whyalla wiped off the map—they are all back over there. What we know is that this is just more proof that those opposite have no plan to deal with the challenges of global climate change. Their direct action plan just will not work. It is another reason that Mr Abbott will not live up to his blood oath to repeal the carbon price—he will not. The climate change departmental officials have told Senate estimates that soil carbon measures can only reduce emissions by around four million tonnes in 2020, which is less than five per cent of what Mr Tony Abbott is claiming for his plan. (Time expired)

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

Mr President, I ask a second supplementary question. Is there any chance that the Prime Minister will legislate to rescind the planned increase in the carbon tax on Monday to help struggling families and to help make business in Australia more competitive again?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not surprising that those opposite do not want to talk about their plan. This is what Mr Tony Abbott said in November 2009.

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

Order! Senator Conroy. Senator Cormann.

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

Mr President, I rise on a point of order in relation to the requirement to be directly relevant. The minister has not been directly relevant in either the substantive or the supplementary question before us. This question was very specific about whether there was any scenario in which the Prime Minister would consider rescinding the increase in the carbon tax, which is planned for Monday. He is talking about Mr Abbott. That has nothing to do with the plans that the government may or may not have in relation to the planned increase in the carbon tax.

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

I remind the minister of the question. You still have 43 seconds remaining.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, those opposite do not want to talk about their plan. They will not acknowledge the following facts about the government's position. Emissions in the national electricity market were down 7.4 per cent in the first 11 months—that is 12 million tonnes less carbon pollution than for the same period last year. Renewable energy generation is up by almost 30 per cent.

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

I rise on a point of order on the requirement that the minister be directly relevant to the question asked. The question was: would the government consider rescinding the increase in the carbon tax to take pressure off families and businesses? The minister has not addressed that question. He has addressed, in general, the question of carbon pricing. He was asked whether the government would do one thing—that is, rescind the upcoming rise in the carbon tax. He has not addressed himself to that question.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

When there is silence—

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order, Senator Conroy is being relevant to the government's policy position, which is clear and which he has outlined.

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

With 43 seconds remaining in the question, I did ask the minister to address the question. I remind the minister of the question. The minister has 13 seconds to address the question.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite refuse to acknowledge the fact that their scare campaign about the impact of the carbon tax has been seen through by the Australian public. With all of the measures— (Time expired)