House debates

Wednesday, 22 October 2014

Questions without Notice

Carbon Pricing

2:27 pm

Photo of Ken O'DowdKen O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment. Will the minister update the House on the benefits that are flowing to households and businesses because of the repeal of the carbon tax? Are there any threats to these benefits?

2:28 pm

Photo of Greg HuntGreg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | | Hansard source

I am delighted to receive this question from the member for Flynn because I can inform the member for Flynn and the members of this House that at 11 am today the Australian Bureau of Statistics announced the largest quarterly fall in electricity prices in Australian history—the largest quarterly fall in the 34 years of records for which statistics have been kept. So it is likely that it is not just a 34-year record; it is likely that it is a record which stretches back to the Second World War, and maybe stretches further back.

But we were told that electricity prices would not come down, that it would not work. Well, the Bureau of Statistics just this morning made it clear that electricity prices, as part of the CPI, have fallen by the largest amount in Australian history. You ask about a figure. In Queensland, where the member for Flynn voted to repeal the carbon tax, Simply Energy reduced electricity prices by nine per cent. A little further down the road where the member for Rankin voted against repealing the carbon taxes, Ergon Energy delivered a 9.4 per cent decrease in electricity prices. The member for Rankin voted to keep that price high; the member for Flynn voted for lower electricity prices. In terms of small businesses, ERM Power delivered for constituents of the member for Flynn and for everyone else in Queensland a 9.1 per cent decrease in electricity prices. Energy Australia delivered a 9.1 per cent decrease in electricity prices, but the member for Flynn asked whether somebody wanted to bring back the carbon tax. I am sorry, but there is somebody.

The Leader of the Opposition wants to bring back not just carbon pricing and carbon taxes but wants to increase electricity prices, but he will not be honest about it. He had an interview on Sky News with David Speers on Monday, 13 October. He was not asked once or twice or three times; he was asked four times whether or not he wanted to increase electricity prices—specifically, 'What do you necessarily mean higher electricity prices, the whole point I suppose of having a price on carbon?' He would not answer once, he would not answer twice, he would not answer three times, he would not answer four times, but here is the difference. The member for Flynn voted for lower electricity prices; the member for Rankin— (Time expired)