Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:07 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. On 25 May 2011 the Prime Minister told the Australian people that the carbon price would be a $10-a-week hit on the average person at the supermarket checkout. Will the Prime Minister stand by his promise and guarantee that grocery bills will now fall by that $10 a week?
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Members:
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There will be silence! The question has been asked.
Ms Macklin interjecting—
The member for Jagajaga!
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I certainly stand by my statements that, on average, this is a $550 hit on Australian households every single year. I absolutely stand by my statements. I certainly do not necessarily stand by the distortions of my statements from the Leader of the Opposition. But I do make this point—that is, the Leader of the Opposition loves the carbon tax.
Mr Perrett interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
He just loves it. He's got this smile on his face because every time people's power bills go up there he is, happy that the carbon tax is doing its job.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, on a point of order: if the Prime Minister is not willing to give the guarantee to the Australian people he should sit down.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There is no point of order; resume your seat. The Prime Minister has the call.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I make these fundamental points to the Leader of the Opposition. The carbon tax is a nine per cent impost on power bills. It is a $9 billion handbrake on our economy and it adds $550 a year to the cost of the average Australian household. So every single Australian should be better off when the carbon tax is gone. The Leader of the Opposition is in denial about the impact of the carbon tax on Australian families.
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Prime Minister has the call! There will be silence.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
He is in denial about the result of the last election. The Leader of the Opposition should just, for once, be fair dinkum. He said and all his colleagues said that they would terminate the carbon tax. The chance to terminate the carbon tax is now, and the Leader of the Opposition should make an honest politician of himself and take it.
Mr Perrett interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Moreton is warned and, unfortunately, he seems to have been moved closer to the chair, so his behaviour had better be more behaved!
An honourable member: Or on your way out!
Or on the way out. I call the honourable member for Capricornia.