Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Ryan for his question. I've seen firsthand his very strong focus on affordable, reliable energy for his constituents and his small businesses as we bring emissions down, and we're delivering. As you just heard from the Prime Minister, we've seen a 3½ per cent reduction in electricity prices and retail prices in the last year—four consecutive quarters for the first time since records began. We saw just this week that domestic emissions are down 2.3 per cent year on year and over three per cent in the electricity market. We're investing in new transmission and in storage projects like Snowy 2.0 and the Marinus Link to make sure we've got a secure, reliable grid.

I was asked about alternatives. The alternative is a target without a plan. They can't say what it would cost; they can't say how they're going to keep electricity secure and reliable in our electricity grid. It feels like groundhog day. I'm reminded of 2010, when Julia Gillard, just before the election, on election eve, said, 'There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead.' On Sunday, the Leader of the Opposition failed to rule out a carbon tax seven times on Insiders. Then, on Monday, the member for Hunter failed to rule out a carbon tax on Sky News. Then, on Tuesday, the shadow minister for energy failed to rule out a carbon tax at a doorstop. Then again today, Wednesday, the Leader of the Opposition dodged questions on a carbon tax on FIVEaa.

We know why they are sidestepping these questions. This week, in the absence of a plan, the members opposite have had a CSIRO report. Mr Speaker, do you know what's in that report? That report says that their target will require a $273 carbon tax, raising the price of electricity, the price of gas, the price of petrol and the price of diesel, and slashing agriculture and other industries—a massive carbon tax. It's groundhog day. We know how this ends; we just don't know when. When will the Australian people find out that Labor are bringing back their carbon tax?

Mr Gosling interjecting—

See this speech in context