Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It has been interesting to hear the chatterings of members opposite. I noticed the member for Chifley was talking about our policy. Our policy will reduce emissions without destroying the economy, without destroying jobs and without pushing emissions offshore. I can say confidently about Labor's policy, the policy that members opposite support, that it will destroy jobs, it will push emissions offshore and it will do nothing to save or help our environment. People who have known me for many years know that I have fought hard for the environment of my electorate. I have worked hard to secure and save Cumberland Plain Woodlands. I have fought hard to deliver a Western Sydney conservation corridor, which members opposite did not vote for or support. I stand here committed to the environment—with many of my coalition colleagues.

Today's matter of public importance debate is about the adverse effects that a carbon tax will have on Australia's economic prospects. In particular, I want to focus on New South Wales, my home state. In March this year the people of New South Wales voted out the worst state government in history. Even though Labor is out of power in New South Wales, federal Labor are still damaging our state's economic prospects with the decision to implement a carbon tax. A New South Wales Treasury review has found that the federal Labor government's carbon tax will cost the state at least 31,000 net jobs and deliver a $3.7 billion annual hit to the state's economy.

Despite the Prime Minister's desperate attempts to mislead this parliament today, I can confirm that the New South Wales modelling has been done on a carbon price of $23 per tonne and that the job losses are net amounts. The same review has found that electricity prices will be forced up by as much as $498 a year for households. Businesses will bear further increases of between $927 and $4,191 a year depending on their usage. Many of the local manufacturers in my electorate are telling me that these are low estimates and that they are anticipating much higher increases and hikes in their power bills. What they are saying to me is they will have to consider either cutting jobs or increasing prices. Either they raise the prices of whatever they are producing or somebody loses a job.

These figures demonstrate without a doubt that Labor does not need to hold power in Macquarie Street to cripple the New South Wales economy. The damaging decisions being made in Canberra are reaching into every home and business across this nation. According to the state's Premier, Barry O'Farrell, and Treasurer, Mike Baird, New South Wales will be hit harder than any other mainland state. Mr O'Farrell has also said that a full review of the impact of the carbon tax by New South Wales Treasury has found that it would push up prices, cut jobs and slash growth in many industries.

State Labor pushed New South Wales to the brink of economic disaster. Now their friends in Canberra are trying to push us over the edge. The effect on New South Wales will be felt right across the state, not just in my electorate of Macquarie, where I have met with many concerned manufacturers and small businesses, but also in places like the Hunter, the Illawarra and the central west, which will all be hit by a carbon tax.

Let me paint a bit more of a picture for you. As has been mentioned by the member for Paterson today, the Premier said that the carbon tax will result in the loss of more than 18,500 jobs in the Hunter region alone. These are people. These are individuals. These are people with families—husbands and wives. So 18,500 people will need to find another source of income to enable them to look after their families, to pay their mortgages and to deal with the rising cost of living for essential items like food, fuel and electricity.

The New South Wales Treasury estimates also show that 7,000 fewer jobs will be created in the Illawarra region and a further 1,000 jobs will be lost in the central west. The effect that these job losses will have on local economies will resonate not just in the local economy but throughout the state. The carbon tax will have a major impact on electricity prices. Mr Baird said that power prices in New South Wales are expected to rise by at least 15 per cent under a carbon tax. It is estimated that New South Wales government agencies will face combined power price hikes of up to $71 million. That does not account for other price hikes that they will experience.

New South Wales cannot afford the loss of revenue caused by job losses combined with this power price hike. This will affect the economic prospects of not only my home state but indeed the whole of Australia. It is not just the current New South Wales coalition government that can see how damaging the carbon tax will be. In fact, it is hard to hear the coalition government's concern over all the noise that ex-New South Wales Labor MPs are making about this diabolical tax. Former Premier Morris Iemma has come out and said of this tax:

One thing is sure—it won't change the world, but it could change the government.

John Della Bosca has also weighed in on the debate:

Action on climate change is one thing.

Mr Della Bosca went on to say:

But I think the carbon tax is a mistake.

Mr Della Bosca then went on to label the carbon tax as the craziest thing the Prime Minister could have done. The Prime Minister is not listening to the people. When I am out and about in my electorate listening to pensioners, listening to families, going out and talking to small business and manufacturers, they say they do not want this tax.

The list of Labor MPs opposing this great big new tax grows daily. Current New South Wales Labor leader John Robertson has said that he will never publicly support a carbon tax. That is what he said one day. Of course, he did a complete backflip and the next day came out and backed a carbon tax. You could just imagine that phone call from the Prime Minister's office that night which led him to make a miraculous backflip. In fact, he learnt from the master of backflips, a Prime Minister who told us before the last election, and I repeat, 'There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead.' Labor are the same; it does not matter where they come from.

Earlier today the member for Greenway mentioned in a speech Tony Sheldon from the TWU. I wonder whether the member for Greenway would agree with his claim that, under the carbon tax, drivers will be forced to do long hours, sweat their trucks further, have less maintenance and that that means more deaths? Mr Sheldon said, 'How are we going to meet the extra $100 to $200 a week when this tax starts smacking truck drivers right in the teeth?' I would encourage the member for Greenway to go and knock on the doors of some of the truck drivers in her electorate, many of whom I know. I would like her to ask them what they think about the carbon tax.

The list of people opposing the tax goes on. I want to talk about another group of people: small business owners, manufacturers, families and seniors that have raised concerns with me directly.

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