David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Senator Cormann. What will be the effect of further delays in dealing with the carbon tax repeal legislation?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bushby for that very important question. The effect of more Labor-Greens delays in dealing with the carbon tax repeal legislation will be more job losses. When we came into government we inherited an economy growing below trend. We inherited rising unemployment. We inherited a situation where the previous government, egged on by the Greens, had imposed more and more burdens on the economy and more and more burdens on business, arguably at the worst possible time.

Of course we were faced with a range of challenges. There were challenges from the high Australian dollar. There were challenges from global economic conditions. But at the worst possible time the Labor-Greens alliance in government imposed further costs on business that are creating serious challenges, in particular for manufacturing businesses across Australia.

Instead of enabling the growth dividend that would come from scrapping the carbon tax, instead of helping to create more jobs, the Labor Party recklessly and irresponsibly are standing in the way of building a stronger economy and creating more jobs. The previous Labor government were pretty bad. The previous Labor governments, led by Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard, were arguably the worst governments in the history of the Commonwealth. But Mr Shorten clearly has not learned the lessons of the last election. Clearly nothing has changed under the leadership of Mr Shorten, because Mr Shorten is leading a reckless, irresponsible and, quite frankly, disgraceful blockage and filibuster that is preventing the growing of a stronger economy and the creation of more jobs. It is very important that we scrap the carbon tax as soon as possible. (Time expired)

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate why it is so important to scrap the carbon tax to create jobs?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is so important to scrap the carbon tax because it will bring down the cost of electricity.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! If you wish to debate it, on my left, the time is after three o'clock, when question time has finished.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is so important to scrap the carbon tax because it will bring down the cost of doing business in Australia. It is so important to scrap the carbon tax because it will help us improve our international competitiveness again. It is so important to scrap the carbon tax because it will help us strengthen our economy and create more jobs. If the Labor Party genuinely cared about jobs and stronger economic growth, they would support the speedy passage of the carbon tax abolition today to give certainty and confidence to businesses across Australia so that they can employ more people again.

Before the last election Labor promised to scrap the carbon tax. Senator Wong promised to scrap the carbon tax. Senator Conroy promised to scrap the carbon tax. Senator Carr promised to scrap the carbon tax. They are all, yet again breaking their promises. (Time expired)

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister tell the Senate why it is important to scrap the carbon tax as soon as possible?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is important to deal with this legislation as speedily as possible in order to provide certainty to business and to provide confidence to business that the cost of electricity is going to come down, that the cost of doing business is going to come down, that international competitiveness is going to go up, that businesses in Australia will be better at competing in overseas markets and that businesses in Australia will be better at competing against imports coming in from overseas.

Do you know what? Mr Shorten actually knows that it would be the right thing to do. Mr Shorten knows that this is what would happen. Mr Shorten knows that if we scrap the carbon tax it will strengthen the economy and create more jobs. But he is too weak to stand up to the Greens and the Left in the Labor Party. He cannot put the national interest ahead of trying to hold onto his job as leader of the Labor Party. He is not behaving like a potential leader of the nation; he is just behaving like a union leader in exile who is trying to hold onto his job. It is time that he focused on the national interest. (Time expired)