Senate debates

Wednesday, 10 October 2012

Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers

Carbon Pricing

3:16 pm

Photo of Brett MasonBrett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I suppose some might think it is a time for a celebration. It is 100 days since the introduction of the carbon tax. If I had thought about it, Senator Cameron, I may have baked a cake, but I cannot afford to anymore because it costs too much to bake. On a serious note, Senator Payne is quite right, particularly with respect to small business and the discount rates they get on electricity. It is costing up to 30 per cent more for small business throughout this country. That is a problem—it is affecting not only pensioners and working families but also small business.

I have somewhat of a penchant, some call it a fetish, for old government documents. I went through what I received at my home in Brisbane—a document called 'What a carbon price means for you'—one of my favourite documents. It says this:

A carbon price is not a tax on households—it will be paid by Australia's biggest polluters.

Yes, you will not pay, just the big polluters will pay. Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen: you will pay. Australia will pay. Business will pay. You will all pay. But, according to this document, it is okay because:

Countries are already taking action on climate change. In addition, 89 countries—representing 80 per cent of global emissions and 90 per cent of the world’s economy—have already pledged—

If you believe politicians' pledges—

to take action on climate change.

What are the comparable countries? What have they done? What has Brazil done? Russia? India? China? The United States? Canada? What have they done?

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