Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was outraged to receive a political campaign text on 1 September from my electricity provider, AGL, claiming that customers just like me would receive an average 8.9 per cent reduction in their bill with the abolition of the carbon price. This message is, of course, at the insistence of and comes from the government, and from a company determined to end meaningful action on climate change. Firstly, I buy 100 per cent renewable energy, as do many other customers. So this will have no impact on me, and I should not have got the message.

Secondly, consider what we are losing to save 8.9 per cent on some electricity bills. The carbon price saw a reduction of about 8.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum. Without a price on carbon, we will miss out on further much-needed reductions and, indeed, will go backwards. Now, those 8.5 million tonnes of pollutants will stay in the air, just to save 8.9 per cent on some bills—and that is not counting any potential emissions increases, nor the fact that Australian households were more than fully compensated for their increased energy costs. An ANU study proved that the carbon tax successfully decreased carbon emissions by 17 million tonnes over the course of its two years in operation. The price on carbon pushed Australian carbon emissions to their lowest level in 24 years. Now, though, we have no meaningful action on climate change. When those opposite go to sleep tonight, I want them to ask themselves: 'What did this cost for our children and our future?'