House debates Questions without Notice

Carbon Pricing

Monday, 17 September 2012 House of Representatives

Bob Baldwin

Bob Baldwin Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism

2:39 pm

My question is to the Treasurer. I remind the Treasurer of comments from Victorian chicken meat boss Mike Shaw that the carbon tax has 'bowled over chicken growers with the triple-whammy price hike', with electricity up 13 to 16 per cent, LPG up 3.72c a litre, and landfill charges that have surged by $26 a tonne. Treasurer, Mr Shaw warns that without a cent of compensation for farmers or the ability to pass on increased costs: 'The only thing that is going to happen is we'll all go broke.' Treasurer, what do you expect our farmers to do?

Wayne Swan

Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer

2:40 pm

If there have been unjustified price increases, they should be referred to the ACCC. Because, as I have said before, the overall impact on the economy is 0.7 per cent, less than one cent in the dollar. Yes, it does have a more significant impact on electricity. But, overall, in terms of our economy, price rises of that magnitude should be referred to the ACCC.