Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Primary Healthcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I remind the Prime Minister of the statement of Paul Kerin, South Australia's independent essential services regulator, who said when asked if repealing the carbon tax would cut electricity prices: 'Yes,' and, 'We would look to make an adjustment at that time.' Isn't scrapping the carbon tax the best way to bring down electricity prices?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Boothby well knows that the government said from the time that it announced the plan to put a price on carbon that it would have an impact on electricity prices. We always said that. We always said to the people of Australia that there would be a flow-through impact as the biggest polluters paid the price on carbon. We wanted Australians to understand the facts. From the opposition what they got was reckless negativity. What they got was a scare campaign. What they got was a determined attempt to mislead the Australian people—ridiculous claims. Whyalla wiped off the map, no more coal mined, roasts at $100—all of these claims have shown to be ridiculous, shown to be the kind of thing that happens when this Leader of the Opposition switches onto reckless negativity, which is where it is stuck. On electricity prices—

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

Madam Speaker, on a point of order. The question was: isn't it true that if you cut the carbon tax you would cut electricity prices? The Prime Minister is making absolutely no attempt to answer that question at all. It is just the usual slag and bag—

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call and will refer to the question before the chair.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On electricity prices, of course the opposition has been out there with false claims too. They have talked about astronomical increases. The opposition know that the increase around the country has been what was predicted—10 per cent or less. The opposition know that that means that people have seen on average increases of $3.30 a week and on average assistance of $10.10 a week. Why doesn't the member for Boothby come into this place and say honestly and loudly to his constituents that he wants to see every increase in the pension, every increase in family payments, every increase that we have delivered, including a tax cut for working Australians, taken away? That is the logical conclusion of his question. The member for Boothby should also be honest enough to come into this place and say that in South Australia there have been large increases in electricity prices which are nothing to do with carbon pricing. He should be honest enough to say that.

On the question of accurate fact and electricity prices, having had a look at the document that was just tabled by the Leader of the Opposition, it says in relation to carbon pricing: 'This represents an estimated increase of 9.13 per cent for an average daily usage.' Once again the Leader of the Opposition is caught out, just like he was on Whyalla, just like he was on the coal industry, just like he was on lamb roasts. He is peddling fear, peddling reckless negativity. The one thing you will never hear from the Leader of the Opposition is anything that sounds like the truth about carbon pricing, or indeed anything else.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I ask a supplementary question to the Prime Minister. I refer to the note from Hetty Verolme to my office: 'To follow is the electricity account as stated. I used the same equipment such as heaters, washing machine, hot water bottle, ironing. Since the last two months I have no idea how it went up.' She has no idea how her bill more than doubled, increasing by $800. Are you saying that Hetty Verolme is fibbing? (Time expired)

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me be very clear to the Leader of the Opposition: I am concerned about the position of this pensioner and I am concerned about the position of every Australian pensioner. That is why I am proud to lead a government that delivered a historic pension increase and why I am proud to lead a government that increased the pension as part of our carbon pricing plan. What I will not stand for and what I do not think any pensioner in Australia should have to stand for is the Leader of the Opposition using them as if they are political pawns in a game. The Leader of the Opposition should have looked at this electricity bill and he should have quoted in this parliament what it says about carbon pricing. It says this:

This represents an estimated increase of 9.13% for an average daily usage …

That is what it says. That represents the decisions that have been taken around the country on carbon pricing and its impact on electricity pricing. No amount of negativity, no amount of misleading, will change that.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. How can it be relevant for the Prime Minister to mislead the parliament by claiming that the increase is nine per cent when the Leader of the Opposition asked about 70 per cent of the increase in Western Australia being due to the carbon tax?

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

Madam Speaker, on the point of order—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What's this?

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

I am responding to the point of order. The fact that the question of the Leader of the Opposition was a supplementary to the first question, not to the second one, we let go, but the words are in a box. No wonder you did not want to table it.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I have indicated before, points of order on process will not be allowed during question time. The Prime Minister has concluded her answer.