Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, come on!

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I did warn the Leader of the House.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer the Prime Minister to Ben Turner, who runs a small business employing five people in my electorate. Ben's latest power bill has skyrocketed to $2,000 with a 25 per cent increase to his retail electricity charges as a direct result of the carbon tax.

Given small business owners will receive no compensation for these rising costs, why won't the Prime Minister apologise to them for promising, 'There will be no carbon tax under a government I lead'?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. As I have said in answer to a large number of questions, small businesses do not directly pay the carbon price. That is paid by the nation's biggest polluters.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No amount of shrieking and screaming from the opposition changes that fact. Of course we see the opposition so desperate to continue their negative campaign that there is no fact they will not deny if it gets in the way of their negativity. The fact is that the carbon price is paid by a relatively small number of businesses that generate a lot of carbon pollution. We have always said that some of that price would be passed through, including in the cost of electricity. Understanding that, we have always said to small businesses that we have put consumers in a position where they have available to them increased money in their pay packet because of tax cuts and increased money in their bank accounts because of an increase in the pension or an increase in family payments. So we have said to small businesses that we understand that they will pass these costs through.

At the same time, we are working to support the competitiveness of Australian businesses and their transition to a cleaner energy future. This is important for our nation's future. It is important for us to move to a cleaner energy future—to seize the natural advantages that come from abundant sunshine and from wind, tidal, and geothermal power—from having access to sources of clean energy. Indeed, I want our nation to be a world leader when it comes to clean energy technologies. That is one of the many ways in which I believe our nation will make our fortune—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order. Ben's business cannot afford to pass these costs on. His electricity bill is $2,000. He is getting no compensation and the Prime Minister should be—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Dickson will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call and will refer to the question before the chair.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much. For small business owners like Ben and for business owners around the nation we want to see our national economy modern, transformed, ready to seize the opportunities of the future. A clean energy future is a significant part of that. Prime Minister Howard believed that. The member who asked the question believed it when he stood in the election campaign in 2007. And no amount of embracing destructive negativity since takes away from that simple fact. The member who asked the question has been in favour of carbon pricing in the past and, once he gets through this negative bluster, he will be acknowledging he is still in favour of carbon pricing now, as is the Leader of the Opposition and every other living Liberal leader.