Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance representing the Minister for the Environment, Senator Cormann. I refer to figures released by the Clean Energy Regulator, which showed that the carbon tax has slugged Bluewaters Power with at least $60 million in increased costs in 2012-13. What broader impact is the carbon tax having on major employers in my state of Western Australia and on the broader economy?

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

I thank Senator Smith for that question. Senator Smith is, of course, a passionate advocate for stronger growth in Western Australia and for reducing the tax and regulatory burden on the Western Australian economy. As I may have shared with the chamber on one or two occasions before, the Labor-Green carbon tax pushes up the cost of electricity; it pushes up the cost of gas; it pushes up the cost of living for families; and it pushes up the cost of doing business in Western Australia and across Australia. It is doing all of that without doing anything to help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. All it does is to help overseas businesses, which Australian businesses are competing with, including and in particular businesses in Western Australia. It is helping those overseas businesses take market share away from us and all of the emissions along with the jobs go overseas to locations where those emissions are arguably going to be higher for the same amount of economic output as they would have in Australia.

In Western Australia, Senator Smith is quite right, Bluewaters Power was slugged with a $60 million tax. Now, Senator Pratt, who has been absent from this chamber all week—I wonder where she is?—told people in Western Australia, in the lead-up to the last election, that the carbon tax had gone—that the carbon tax had been removed by Kevin Rudd and Labor. Guess what, Mr President? The carbon tax is alive and kicking. It is my solemn duty to inform the Senate that the carbon tax continues to hurt families and businesses in Western Australia and it continues to push up the cost of doing business. It has hit businesses like Woodside with a $172 million bill; BHP Worsley Alumina for $56 million; BHP Burrup, $55 million; and Yara Pilbara, $35 million on top of the $190 million to the Western Australian Electricity Generation Corporation. (Time expired)

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate what views business leaders have expressed regarding the impact that the carbon tax is having on investment decisions?

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

Yes, I can, Senator Smith. Business leaders across Australia want this carbon tax to go. They understand that to take Australia back to a global competitive edge we need the carbon tax to go. We need to bring down the cost of doing business in Australia. We need to ensure that businesses across Australia, in particular in Western Australia, can be more competitive internationally again. I will just add to the numbers that I shared with the Senate before. Australia's manufacturing industry has been hit with a bill of at least $1.1 billion as a direct result of the Labor-Green carbon tax. I will share that again: the Australian manufacturing industry has been hit with a tax bill, a carbon tax bill, of at least $1.1 billion—the mining sector, $530 million, the oil and gas extraction sector, $450 million. Of course, this has a serious impact on our economy. (Time expired)

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a final supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate whether there is any reason to delay a decision on the future of the carbon tax?

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

The answer is no, there is absolutely no reason, Senator Smith. This is an issue that has been extensively debated across the Australian community for a very long time. It was the issue at the heart of the last election. The Australian people, including people across Western Australia, were able to pass judgement at the last election about what they thought of the Labor-Green carbon tax imposed on them in direct breach of an explicit promise in the lead-up to the 2010 election. Guess what? The Australian people said, very clearly, that the carbon tax must go. If Labor genuinely cared about our economy and about jobs in Australia they would vote today to scrap the carbon tax. If Labor genuinely cared—

Senator Wong interjecting—

Here we go. I take this interjection from Senator Wong.

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

Order! Interjections are disorderly, Senator Wong.

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

For the last six months they have been running the biggest filibuster in the history of the Commonwealth. (Time expired)