John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Nash. Will the minister inform the Senate about the impact Labor's carbon tax is having on the operational costs of hospitals and health services in Victoria and New South Wales?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the hardworking senator for his question. The Labor-Greens carbon tax is having an enormous impact on our hospitals and health services. The figures in Victoria and New South Wales alone are staggering. For starters, allow me to inform the Senate of the impact of the Labor-Greens carbon tax on the New South Wales system. State treasury analysis released last year showed the carbon tax cost the state's health service a total of $26½ million. There are more than 220 public hospitals across the state, with the carbon tax costing the average hospital over $120,000 per year.

In Victoria in 2012-13, the carbon tax cost more than $13½ million in electricity and gas across the public health system. And it is not just the large city hospitals that have been hit with the carbon tax; regional health services are struggling with higher energy costs in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. I note the very quiet response from the other side to these figures—Albury-Wodonga, Ballarat, Barwon, Bendigo, Goulburn Valley, Peninsula, South-West, Mildura and North-East Wangaratta healthcare services, to name some of them. In some cases the carbon tax was 18 per cent of the energy bill. Let me point out that this is just two states we are talking about. Consider the impact of the carbon tax—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! When there is silence we will proceed. Senator Nash, continue.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is unacceptable that our hospitals and health services are being slugged with this toxic carbon tax which is undoubtedly diverting vital funds away from other healthcare priorities. It makes a mockery of Labor and the Greens grandstanding on health issues when they are slugging our health services and hospitals with a tax and blocking the coalition government's attempts to repeal it.

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have just the one supplementary question. Will the minister inform the Senate of the impact the carbon tax will have on hospitals and health services if it remains in place?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The refusal of Labor and the Greens to repeal the carbon tax will be to the detriment of our health system and the communities that rely on it. We heard earlier the enormous costs of the tax on our health system already, and this will only get worse. By repealing the tax the coalition would be easing this cost burden on our hospitals and health services so they can prioritise spending on front-line services.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Nash, you have been asked to resume your seat because there is commentary coming out of both sides which is disorderly. Senator Nash, continue.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Further, by removing the carbon tax, the average household living costs will be around $550 lower. But it is not just our hospitals and health services that are burdened with this tax. The carbon tax is a $9-billion-a-year hit on the economy. The coalition government is committed to abolishing the carbon tax and will not stop until it is done. The Labor Party and the Greens would rather burden families and businesses with an economy-wide tax that fails to reduce emissions and sends industry offshore. It is time Labor and the Greens respected the mandate of the Australian people to abolish it.

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

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.