Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer to the Treasurer's previous answer, where he claimed that regional Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef in particular will benefit from a carbon tax. Treasurer, will the marine industry, including fishing trawlers and tourism boats to the Great Barrier Reef, have to pay the carbon tax on their fuel?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He is a glutton for punishment. The shadow Treasurer asked me about the tourism industry. There is no industry in this country which is going to be a greater beneficiary of dealing with dangerous climate change than the tourism industry. Its very existence in my home state depends upon the survival of the Great Barrier Reef.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the Treasurer was asked a very straightforward question that any good Treasurer would instantly know the answer to. I ask you to direct him back to the question about whether diesel fuels are going to be exempt.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In asking the question, the member for North Sydney referred the Treasurer to his previous answer. The Treasurer has the call.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question from the shadow Treasurer is just part of their irresponsible and continuing scare campaign. Those opposite specialise in talking our economy down by making outrageous statements and claims which are all completely inaccurate and not based on any facts whatsoever. You cannot run economic policy if you ignore the facts, but that is what the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Treasurer want to do. The Australian people see right through that crew opposite. They know that so much is being said by those opposite which is absolutely untrue and it reflects very poorly on all of them.