Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Chair. I want to ask a very specific question. I want to ask the minister about section 60FE of the legislation and the statement that has to be made for electricity customers. It applies to an electricity retailer that sells electricity to customers or a natural gas retailer that sells natural gas to customers.

Within 30 days after royal assent of this bill, those retailers have to prepare a statement which tells their customers the cost savings that have been 'directly or indirectly attributable' to the carbon tax repeal and for the financial year that began on 1 July 2014. In that period, they have to communicate this to their customers. It says specifically that it has to be communicated to each customer of that class and, if they do not comply, they will be subject to a $400 penalty unit offence, and it is a strict liability situation.

On that basis, Minister, I want to ask you again: if this happened to go through today and get royal assent soon, these electricity retailers and natural gas retailers are going to have to be preparing their statements. What does an 'indirect cost saving attributable to the carbon price' mean for the purposes of complying with the legislation?

Secondly: since they have to inform their customers of the expected cost saving, do they have to inform all of their customers through some direct means, or is putting something on their website sufficient to fulfil the requirement of section 60FE?

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Senator Lines?