Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for COAG) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Is the minister aware that according to the Housing Industry Association building approvals are down by 15.5 per cent compared with one year ago? Given this and the fact that global economic conditions are increasingly fragile, can the minister advise the Senate why the government is introducing the carbon tax, which will add an average of $5,000 to the cost of building a new home?