Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Abetz. Is the minister aware of reports in today's media that in the year following the introduction of Labor's job-destroying carbon tax Australia's carbon emissions fell by just 0.1 per cent? Does the government believe this reduction in emissions is worth the damage being caused to the Australian economy and jobs?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Edwards for his question and acknowledge that he is a South Australian senator with a deep commitment to the automotive industry in his home state. That is why he is so anxious to ensure—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the removal of the carbon tax, a carbon tax that the Leader of the Opposition in this place—herself a South Australian senator—sought to champion, did champion and got through to the great detriment of the automotive sector in this country. The recent media articles have highlighted the ineffectiveness on the environmental front whilst also highlighting the job-destroying and household-budget blowing impacts of the carbon tax. Let us be quite clear here: if the carbon tax was such a good idea why did the Labor Party rule it out before the 2010 election by saying there would be no carbon tax? If it was such a good idea, why did they campaign on that issue?

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Senator Abetz, just resume your seat. You are entitled to be heard in silence. There are two senators debating the issue across the chamber. That is not fair to you. You are entitled to be heard in silence.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And, Mr President, in 2013, knowing how toxic the carbon tax was and is in the Australian community, they went to the people of Australia saying that they had abolished the carbon tax. Well, they had not. We are seeking to remove the carbon tax and those opposite, along with the Greens, are deliberately standing in the way of removing the huge mandate we got from the Australian people to remove the carbon tax. I invite those opposite to search their consciences. In 2010 they said there would be no carbon tax. In 2013 they said they made a mistake and 'We're going to get rid of it'.

Well, we are now trying to get rid of it and we have the Australian Labor Party yet again standing in the way of economic prosperity, jobs growth and reducing the cost of living in this nation. (Time expired)

Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. What impact has Labor's job-destroying carbon tax had on reducing the world's carbon emissions?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In fact, a very strong case can be made that Australia's carbon tax has made the CO2emissions in the world so much worse. That is the perverse outcome of this carbon tax, because what has occurred is the exporting of a lot of Australian manufacturing, under clean environmental rules in this country, having been costed out of the business, moving to countries such as China where the CO2output is so much greater. Whilst Australia can boast—if we call it that—of a 0.1 per cent reduction courtesy of the carbon tax, we know that as a result of manufacturing deserting Australia those CO2emissions are occurring elsewhere in the world—exactly the same experience as Europe has had with its ETS and manufacturing going over to Africa.

Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a further supplementary question, Mr President. What is the minister's response to reports that Australia's total contribution to the planet's human-caused carbon output is in the realm of 1.4 per cent?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia's contribution of 1.4 per cent in general terms is relatively small, one would have thought, by anybody's standards. But it would be fair to say that, per capita, it is relatively high. But you know one of the important things—and Senator Collins might be interested in this—is we are the most efficient producers of wheat and dairy product for the world. We in fact feed millions of people around the world each year. Yes, in producing the wheat, in producing the dairy produce, we do in fact increase our CO2 emissions; but, when you take into account the good that that does for the world's food tasks, one can only accept that it is in fact for the betterment of humanity at large. I would invite those opposite to take those sorts of considerations into account when they are seeking to destroy our economy and jobs. (Time expired)