House debates

Thursday, 30 October 2014

Matters of Public Importance

Budget

4:08 pm

Photo of Ken O'DowdKen O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Pink batts is another story—another sad, sad story. It cost us in the billions. In Queensland, electricity prices have come down since the abolition of the carbon tax. Ergon Energy are down 9.4 per cent; PowerDirect are down 9.2 per cent; Simply Energy are down nine per cent; Energy Australia are down 8.3 per cent; Origin Energy are down eight per cent; EnergyAustralia are down 9.3 per cent; ERM Power are down 9.1 per cent; and AGL Energy are down 8.7 per cent. Need I go on? Gas prices have also come down. Origin Energy are down by four per cent; AGL Energy are down by 3.2 per cent; and AGL Energy and Origin in small business are down 6.4 per cent and 4.5 per cent respectively.

We are implementing our direct action policy. Those on the other side do not believe in the direct action policy. Well, I can tell you that the people of Australia know what the direct action policy is, and that is why they voted for us at the last election.

Opposition members interjecting

They know and you do not know. That is why you are sitting on that side and we are on this side. Just keep that in mind.

Opposition members interjecting

If you want to keep acting the way you are and sticking with your policies—if you ever announce your policies, but they seem to be the same as they were last term—you will be on that side for a damn long time. There is no risk about that. I would like to be as certain about backing the Melbourne Cup winner next Tuesday!

In my electorate I have a very big company called Boyne Smelters, which is run by Rio Tinto. With the carbon tax, they were paying $15 million a year. For the RET they were paying $25 million a year. Since the GST they have been producing aluminium below cost because the market has fallen away, but these two charges alone—the $15 million plus the $25 million—has not helped their survival at all. I dare any of you on that side to go to the Boyne Smelters site and tell them how your carbon tax and your RET have helped the workers of Boyne Smelters. There are a thousand jobs there and they are all earning pretty good money. Those jobs would have been under a major threat had we not come into power and abolished the carbon tax.

Opposition members interjecting

Come up to Boyne Smelters and tell the workers of Boyne Smelters about your policy.

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