Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to Graham Manning, a dairy farmer in Harvey, Western Australia. One of the biggest costs in his small business is electricity, because he refrigerates thousands of litres of milk every day. Does the Treasurer expect him to absorb the cost of the carbon tax, or will this cost simply be passed on to the consumer through higher prices for milk?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. We have made it very clear that all of the detail for pricing carbon will be provided on Sunday. We have made it very clear that we will be putting a price on carbon pollution on up to 100—sorry, up to 1,000—

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could be a hundred.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

of our largest polluters—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will leave the chamber for one hour under standing order 94(a).

The member for Curtin then left the chamber.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. I simply say, on behalf of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, that when you were speaking earlier on the point of order that I made, the minister for health interjected and you told her to be quiet but did not remove her from the chamber under 94(a). Yet the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has been removed under 94 (a). I simply ask if you think that is fair.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Manager of Opposition Business. I know I will get the emails that I have not been fair. I indicated to him at the end of the answer of the Minister for Health and Ageing that nobody could have heard the answer because so many people were interjecting and I took no action at that. If I am allowed to make stanzas of what is happening here in question time, I will. I can assure him: if I had tossed out everybody who transgressed since the gener­al warning I would be very comfortable but very lonely in the chamber.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have already made it very clear that the consequence of putting a price on carbon pollution for up to 1,000 of our largest polluters will have modest price increases. We have made that very clear. And of course they will flow through the system, which is why the government is so intent on putting in place additional assis­tance for households, and we have outlined the principles that that will be based on. There will also be—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer will resume his place. Whoever has the phone that just went off is very lucky. Under a general warning that would be worth a naming, but I cannot find out who it is. The member for Forrest has the call on a point of order.

Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. My point of order is relevance. The question was about Graham Manning, a dairy farmer, and the increased electricity costs to his small business.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was making it very clear that there will be additional assistance for households: there will be tax cuts, there will be increases in family payments and there will be increases in pensions. All of those things are very important. I know they do not matter to those opposite, because if they were in power they would simply rip them out.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Treasurer will respond to the question.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am responding to the question, Mr Speaker. All of the detail will be there on Sunday for everybody to see, and can I just make this point: we absolutely look forward to this debate in the weeks ahead so that all of the scaremongering that has come from those opposite can be exposed for what it is.

Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Why is the government's plan for a price on carbon the most effective way to help Australia cut pollution while supporting households? How has this been received and what is the government's response?

An opposition member: You'll have to wait till Sunday!

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course—on Sunday—the government will be announcing the details of a carbon price package that will cut pollution and—

Ms O'Dwyer interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a new member of the House, the member for Higgins may not realise that once I have given a general warning there are a number of options that I can take. I might chance my arm and name somebody soon. She is absolutely warned, because I intend to name her if she does not take recognition of the general warning.

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, the government will be announcing the details of the carbon price. It will cut pollution, it will drive investment in clean energy and it will provide strong support for households and jobs.

This morning the government's plan to put a price on carbon pollution received more support from the business community. Companies like AGL, Fujitsu, Ikea and General Electric, and 51 others, are now part of an organisation called Businesses for a Clean Economy, and in a statement released today these and a host of other businesses stated:

As major Australian and international corporations and representative associations operating across the Australian economy we strongly support the introduction of a well designed carbon price to support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Those companies, which are major corporations operating within our economy, know, along with every credible economist, that putting a price on carbon pollution is the cheapest and most cost-effective way of cutting pollution. Of course, it is not a tax on households; it is a charge that will be paid by fewer than 1,000 of the largest polluters in the economy for every tonne of pollution that they produce.

The carbon price will be good for the economy and it will be good for the environment, whilst households will be assisted to meet the modest cost impacts of the introduction of a carbon price. Nine out of 10 households will get some combination of tax cuts and increased payments. Pensioners will benefit from an increase in the pension. Many self-funded retirees will receive assistance equal to the extra payments that we will provide to other pensioners, part pensioners and carers. At least three million households will also get a 20 per cent buffer over and above the average price impacts of the carbon price to give them that bit of extra cash. Families, tradespeople and of course small businesses with light commercial vehicles will not face a fuel price rise as a result of the introduction of a carbon price. These are very important commitments to accompany the introduction of the carbon price in our economy.

Households should also be very clear that the Leader of the Opposition intends taking all of these rises in the pension, intends clawing back the tax cuts, intends taking back all of the assistance—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Opposition members interjecting—

Order! The minister and the Manager of Opposition Business will resume their seats. There are some people that I do not hear from at the best of times; I am disappointed to hear from them during a general warning, and they will remain unnamed. The Manager of Opposition Business has a point of order.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I simply point out that the minister was not asked to debate the question. He was not asked to attack the opposition. I would ask you to draw him back to the question or sit him down.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business has made a relevant point of order. I cringe when I hear a question that finishes with: 'How has it been received and what is the government's response?' but I do have an expectation that ministers will try to relate their material directly to that aspect of the question without just going into debate willy-nilly. The minister has the call and he should recognise that point.

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, I was asked how the government's announcement of a carbon price has been received and what the government's response to that is. It is relevant, I would submit, that the opposition has a position that it would take away the benefits that the government intends provid­ing as part of this package to pensioners, self-funded retirees and families.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He is defying your ruling, Mr Speaker.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You might consider that he is defying, but I am simply absolutely trying to indicate the difficulties that the chair has under the present standing orders that allow questions that have this type of addition at the end. I will listen carefully, very carefully, to the way in which the minister relates his material directly, because that is the new standing order. Under the previous standing order, ministers from both sides of politics perfected ways of making a smidgen of relevance, but this has to be directly relevant. Therefore the preamble of the question is very important. The minister.

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The choice for the Australian people in relation to this issue is very clear. The government wants to provide tax cuts, pension increases and increased payments for households. The Leader of the Opposition wants to tax households an extra $720 a year to pay money—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat.

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

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer to the plight of Jeff Gilbert, who yesterday was charged an extra eight per cent to post an item from the Alexandra post office in Victoria and was told, 'because of the carbon tax'.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The House will come to order.

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

No more feigned laughter there. Against that background, I ask: with people already being ripped off before your carbon tax has even been introduced, how will you protect consumers if it does become law?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. Under standing order 100(d)(vi) and (vii), that question is out of order.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Going to the point of order on the whole, the member has mentioned a person's name. It is usual that one would take on face value that the member is quoting what he has been informed by the person he has named. This is a question that I have heard in its manifestation over a number of proposals put before this parliament by both sides and I indicate that I will allow the question. I am sure the Treasurer will now respond in a directly relevant manner.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. He has raised the instance of price gouging and deceptive behaviour. These matters are dealt with by our competition and consumer watchdog, the ACCC, which has full powers to deal with them. I am more than happy to take up his case. He should provide the full details to me to pass onto the ACCC so it can do its job.