Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Minister for the Environment. I refer to figures released by the Clean Energy Regulator that show that the carbon tax has hit the Karratha Power Station with at least $6.3 million in higher costs in the last financial year. What impact has the carbon tax had on Western Australia, and how will repealing the tax help control unwanted high electricity bills?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Durack is right. The fight goes on to help control unwanted electricity bills. We will not rest until we make an impact on these electricity bills.

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Charlton will desist!

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is day 106. The filibuster continues in the Senate. Last night Labor senators debated, debated and debated—

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is too much noise on my left!

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

but they did introduce something new. They introduced their own amendments, not to abolish the carbon tax but to change its name. It was a watershed moment. They were going to change the name of the carbon tax, not abolish it. There are those who have said that the Leader of the Opposition might say one thing in Western Australia and another thing here in Canberra about the mining tax. I am sorry to say that that pattern continues with the carbon tax. He is pretending that he and the ALP want to abolish the carbon tax when all they are doing is changing its name. Do not take my word for this.

Ms Rishworth interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kingston will desist or leave the chamber—one or the other.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Somebody else spoke in the Senate last night. What was it that Senator Milne, a co-architect of the carbon tax, had to say not about what we were doing but about Labor's own amendments to change the name of the carbon tax? Senator Milne just last night said:

… this ridiculous position where we have the Labor Party pretending that what they want to move for is emissions trading.

In other words, Senator Milne was saying it is a name change. It is nothing more than a name change. Why does that matter to the people of Western Australia? It means that, in the fight for the Western Australian Senate, it is a fight for the carbon tax, which is what they are arguing for—

Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Too convoluted, Napoleon.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Melbourne Ports will desist!

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

or against the carbon tax, which is what the people voted for and which is what we are presenting as we go to this Western Australian election. How much is this worth to the people of Western Australia? Western Australia's electricity bill alone is $344 million. That is $191 million for electricity generation, $60 million for Bluewaters, $27 million for Alinta, $17 million for NewGen and $6 million for ATCO. The list is continuous and it is paid for not by members in this House but by Western Australians through their power bills at home, in their small businesses and in their large operations where people are employed. The message is very clear. Do not change the name of the carbon tax. Do what the people of Australia elected this parliament to do.

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

God, you're boring.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The members for Wakefield and Moreton will desist!

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is, get out of the way and allow the carbon tax to be repealed.