Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister inform the House how abolishing the world's largest carbon tax will help families and small businesses in my electorate?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, it is indeed the world's biggest carbon tax—

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's rubbish!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

but it is loved by members opposite.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But it is rightly opposed by the member for Wannon. It is a very important question from the member for Wannon, because the Portland aluminium smelter is in his electorate. The whole point of the carbon tax is to reduce Australia's aluminium production by 61 per cent.

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Rubbish!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton will remove himself under 94(a).

The member for Moreton then left the chamber.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is in the Labor Party's own figures that they published in government. Aluminium production in this country comes down by 60 per cent.

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. There is far too much noise in the chamber. I cannot even hear the answer myself. There is to be silence in the chamber while the Prime Minister has the call. The Prime Minister has the call.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Scrapping the carbon tax will give the aluminium industry a fighting chance. It will give the iron and steel industry a fighting chance of survival in this country, and that is what we want to do. We want to give the decent workers and the honest businesses of this country the best possible chance to flourish, and that is exactly what scrapping the carbon tax does. Scrapping the carbon tax removes a nine per cent impost on power prices. It removes a $9 billion a year handbrake on our economy. Scrapping the carbon tax removes—

Ms Henderson interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Corangamite will desist.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

a $550 a year hit on the budget of the average Australian family. The member for Wannon asked about the cost of living. The best thing you can do to improve Australians' cost of living is to scrap the carbon tax and to scrap it now, because that will save the average household $550 a year.

Mr Bowen interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for McMahon will desist.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Scrapping the carbon tax will reduce prices. As the Chairman of the ACCC has said, 'What went up will come down when you take away the carbon tax.' Let me repeat that. The Chairman of the ACCC said, 'What went up will come down when you take away the carbon tax.' The Energy Supply Association of Australia said, 'Savings from the removal of the carbon tax will be fully passed through to gas and electricity consumers once the Australian parliament repeals the legislation.' So that is our challenge—to repeal this legislation, to get prices down, to save Australian families $550 a year on average.

But there is a very clear difference in this parliament. The government wants to save the households of Australia $550 a year. The Labor Party wants to add $550 a year to their costs. Even if the carbon tax goes in this parliament, elect that mob and it comes straight back in, because Labor loves taxes.