House debates

Thursday, 3 March 2011

Questions without Notice

Carbon Pricing

2:46 pm

Photo of Andrew RobbAndrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, I refer to reports today that consumers will be forced to pay even more in GST, stamp duty, capital gains tax and even council rates as your carbon tax feeds into the price of almost every consumable item. Prime Minister, how much more will consumers have to pay in these extra taxes? Isn’t it true that there is no way to quarantine these impacts because the carbon tax applies and compounds at every stage of production?

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

I thank the—is it the finance minister? Whatever portfolio the member for Goldstein has today, I thank him for his question. Can I say to the member for Goldstein and, more broadly, to the opposition: I anticipate that we will be back here for the next sitting week and they will be saying: ‘Christmas will be cancelled! Children will not get Easter eggs! The tooth fairy will never come!’ This is where we will get to in the next few sitting weeks—absurd proposition on absurd proposition. These people cower in the face of the challenges of the future. These people cower and they ask the Australian nation to cower with them. They ask the Australian nation to say to itself—

Photo of Luke HartsuykerLuke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Once again, the Prime Minister is not being directly relevant to the question, which asked about the impact of the carbon tax on other taxes, such as GST and stamp duty.

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! I thank the member for Cowper for approaching the dispatch box and making a point of order without any additions. I say to the Prime Minister that she must make her material directly relevant to the question.

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

Thank you very much. This is another part of the opposition’s fear campaign. On this fear campaign we say to Australians: ‘Don’t fall for it. They are asking you to cower in the face of the future.’ They are asking Australians to believe that they are incapable of change. Australians are smart, competent people. They are up to this. They will get it done and they will leave the opposition stranded as history marches past them.