Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

The Customs Tariff Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 amends the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to remove the elements of this act that were legislated by the former government to apply the carbon tax through the fuel tax and excise system.

Importantly, this will reduce the increase in excise-equivalent customs duty on aviation gasoline and aviation turbine fuel that represents an equivalent to the carbon tax applied to Australian imports.

Currently, Qantas imposes a carbon price surcharge of between $1.93 and $7.25 per passenger on all domestic flights, depending on the distance travelled. Virgin Australia imposes similar surcharges.

The repeal of the carbon tax will reduce one of the major components of airline costs, and enable airlines to pass on a significant saving to travellers.

Debate adjourned.

Ordered that the resumption of the debate be made an order of the day for a later hour.