Natasha Griggs Solomon, Country Liberal Party
2:21 pm
My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. I refer the Acting Prime Minister to the letters sent by the Clean Energy Regulator to 104 councils across Australia regarding their liability to pay the carbon tax. I ask the Acting Prime Minister: will the Darwin City Council have a direct carbon tax liability as one of Australia's so-called biggest polluters?
Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer
2:22 pm
I thank the member for her question. It follows up a question which I think we had yesterday which was factually incorrect.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer
It certainly was—the assertion about the council in Queensland was just wrong. But I will go through the issue. The majority of landfills and the majority of councils in Australia will have no liability under the carbon price. The landfills have to be big enough to be liable. Many of them will never have to pay for emissions for waste deposited before 1 July 2012 and there will be no liability for the whole of 2012-13. The government and the regulator will engage directly with the councils to talk about these matters and to make the assessment as to whether they are liable or not.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:23 pm
Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Given that it is just 40 days till the introduction of the world's biggest carbon tax, is the Acting Prime Minister confirming that there are 104 councils around our country, including Darwin City Council, that do not know whether they will be liable for this tax or how much? What a disgrace!
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will withdraw.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
I withdraw.
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
It is an abuse of question time to add that to the end of any question.
Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer
It is not the issue that the Leader of the Opposition claims because there will be no liability in 2012-13.