Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Given the government has agreed to introduce and pass regulations and penalties developed by the Palmer United Party regarding the clean energy legislation repeal bill, and given that it affects entities—everything from individuals to body corporates to unincorporated associations and trusts—will the government explain whether this includes Qantas and supermarkets, for example, or is it restricted to only electricity and gas suppliers?

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

There are a number of aspects to the honourable senator's question. If I could start off with the latter part first: in relation to the issue of Qantas and, I understand, Coles and some other corporations potentially not passing on full price savings to households, we have asked that the ACCC look into those allegations to ensure that occurs.

In relation to the Palmer United Party amendments, as I described earlier in the debate, we provided a belt for security and they then provided braces to add even further security, to ensure that the consumer would be protected and that the price reductions that flow from the carbon tax are passed on to consumers.

But it really is a bit rich for somebody to claim they are concerned to have costs passed on when they are voting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Milne, on a point of order.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order: relevance. It is a specific question and it affects businesses across the country. They deserve a straight answer.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Milne, I wrote down part of your question. It said 'will the minister explain on behalf of the government' and you raised a number of issues. The minister has been relevant to this point. Minister, you have the call.

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

It is all very well, and we would join Senator Milne in wanting to ensure that the abolition of the carbon tax is passed onto absolutely everybody, but there is only one problem. Senator Milne wants this $11 million a day impost to remain on those consumers, on those businesses, on those voluntary organisations, and everybody else in the community, knowing full well that this tax is having a huge impost on the cost of living of every Australian, is destroying jobs and, worst of all, is doing absolutely nothing for the benefit of the environment.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, your legislation was just to the regulator; what this does is bring in penalties that apply to all of the entities. So I ask the minister again, specifically because businesses across the country want to know the answer: is this applying to only electricity and gas suppliers, or is it applying across the economy, including to aviation and supermarkets?

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

I can go through the detail of the Palmer amendment, part of which is to insert two new divisions into the new part V of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, called divisions 2B and 2C, which will impose general obligations on electricity and natural gas retailers to provide information to the ACCC and customers on the cost savings that have been or will be passed through to consumers. Retailers of electricity and gas will need to do two things: firstly, they will need to give a carbon tax removal substantiation statement to the agency and, secondly, they will also need to inform customers by 31 December 2014 of the average estimated cost saving for 2014-15 resulting from the repeal of the carbon tax that has been or will be passed on through to the consumer.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister explain how today's support of yellow tape sits with the government's determination to tackle the avalanche of red and green tape so abhorrent to the Prime Minister?

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

There was a very good first speech given yesterday by the Liberal Democrat senator; he talked about two steps forward and one step back. Any suggestion that the Palmer United Party amendments can be described as 'yellow tape' just falls into absolute and utter insignificance to the huge amount of green tape that will be removed when the carbon tax finally goes. And we, on behalf of the Australian people, want to see that outcome. I understand the Palmer United Party also want to see that outcome, along with other crossbench senators in this place, because they know of the huge impost that this green tape of the carbon tax has had on the cost of living: $550 per household per annum, destroying jobs and, worst of all, doing absolutely nothing for the environment. (Time expired)