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

Coming to the question of a carbon price and electricity prices, which the member asked about, I have obviously addressed questions of assistance with cost-of-living pressures. We understand that it is tough for people. On the question of pricing carbon, of tackling climate change, I believe Australians want the people in this place to try and work together to tackle this issue in good faith, which is exactly what the government is trying to do through the creation of the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee. Of course, there is the option that, if the Leader of the Opposition diverts from his strategy of wrecking and looks to real reform, the opposition can participate in that committee and make a positive contribution to this nation tackling climate change.

I understand that the member for Hasluck, coming from Western Australia, would be genuinely concerned about electricity prices, because I know that there is a very big debate in Western Australia about increasing electricity prices and the pressures on families. As the member for Hasluck would be well aware, that is because of actions of the Liberal state government there in relation to electricity pricing. I want to quote the Western Australian Premier on what has caused him to take this action and what is putting pressure on electricity prices, because I believe the member for Hasluck may be interested in the insights of his Western Australian colleague, who says:

These increases have been coming for some time and, at the end of the day, I guess you know, we have to have a situation where the electricity industry pays its own way.

And, in relation to the circumstances in WA about which his government made decisions, Premier Barnett goes on to say, ‘And all of us for a whole set of reasons, a whole host of factors, are going to cop higher electricity prices.’ He says:

We also, as a community, tend to use a lot more electricity than we did in previous times, so that is part of it.

That is Premier Barnett on electricity price decisions of the Liberal government in Western Australia. I refer the member for Hasluck to those words, which obviously are about the need to reinvest in electricity generation. So, when it comes to cost pressures on working families, I understand that he wants to raise questions in this place; he may also want to raise questions with his WA Liberal colleagues.

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