Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Evans. I refer to the massive uncertainty being caused to Australian families and businesses by the government's inability to indicate in the budget even the most basic costs of the carbon tax it plans to impose. In order to dispel some of this uncertainty, can the minister confirm that the Labor-Greens carbon tax will increase the price of electricity by an average of $300 per household, increase the price of petrol by 6c per litre and increase the price of groceries by five per cent? If the minister cannot confirm these particular price increases, can he advise the Senate by how much the price of each of these items will increase?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Abetz for the question, because here we are, two days after the budget, and after the second question they have run out of questions about the budget. They have got nothing to say about the budget of this country. They got five or six questions yesterday, one today, and they have run out of steam. They have nothing to contribute to the economic debate in this country. They cannot lay a hand on the budget.

Senator Cormann interjecting—

It is no wonder we get—'Oh, can you tell us about what is not in the budget?' It just shows how bereft a contribution the Liberal Party has—

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Evans, resume your seat. On both sides—

Honourable senators interjecting—

I will give you the call when there is silence.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on relevance. This minister has now had almost a minute and all he has done—the same as Senator Wong does—is comment on the questioner. In no way can that be seen to be directly relevant. I know neither of those ministers have any competence with their own portfolio, but to allow them to spend the first minute of their answers actually attacking the questioner is just not relevant and, Mr President, I would ask that you might interrupt those ministers without us taking a point of order and make them abide by the regulations.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order, I was surprised that that point of order was taken because I could not actually hear anything that was going on due to the abuse being hurled at the leader from the other side.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I could, Stephen, and I sit opposite.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let's be clear: I could not actually hear the answer, so I am not sure you are going to be in a position to make a judgment on relevance. Most importantly, traditionally it has always been the case that the leader can range widely across a range of issues. That has always been the tradition. I would put to you, Mr President, that the pathetic attempt to hear his own voice again and to prove he is relevant by Senator Macdonald should be ruled out of order.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The minister has one minute 19 remaining to address the question and answer the question. It will assist question time if, when the answers are being given, people stop shouting across the chamber.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was just making, as a preliminary point, the very obvious point that the opposition has nothing to say on the important economic issues confronting this country other than slogans and abuse. What we do know is that, on the second day after the budget at question time, when the government is supposed to be under pressure to be held to account, they have no questions.

The government is pursuing the implementation of a price on carbon, as we have committed ourselves to. This government is working through a multi-party climate change committee and consulting with industry, unions and the community about the form of that new price on carbon. That work is ongoing. When that work is finalised, that work will be completed, it will be put to the parliament and any budgetary impacts will be included in future budgets—just as has been the case in the past, when the Howard government introduced the GST. Once those decisions are taken, once legislation is carried, provision will be made in the budgets, as per normal practice.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for confirming that cost-of-living issues are not addressed in Labor's budget. I refer to the $13.7 million squirreled away in the budget to fund what is euphemistically referred to as a climate change foundation campaign, which, accor­ding to the Minister for Climate Change, will be used for websites and the printing of information brochures. Given the experience with GROCERYchoice and Fuelwatch websites, can the minister understand why Australian families might regard the spend­ing of this money as another example of waste and mismanagement?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have to give it to Senator Abetz: talk about front! Remember the guy who used to run the Liberal advertising campaign, wherein they spent hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers' money advertising everything under the sun to try and save their political hides?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Who remembers Work Choices? Who remembers the Work Choices campaign? Hundreds of millions of dollars—

Honourable senators interjecting—

and he gets up in this place and says, 'Have you spent $13 million'—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Evans, resume your seat. It is impossible to hear what is being said because of the noise that is coming from both sides. If you want to shout at each other, go outside, but give us the opportunity to listen to what is taking place in the chamber.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will not be lectured by Senator Abetz, who was in charge of that very grubby process inside the Howard government, where the politics and the polling of the Liberal Party determined the expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars on political advertising—

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What did you do to the Auditor-General? You are an absolute hypocrite.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Evans—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So don't come in here and lecture us about a $13 million education support program, which, by the way, was in last year's budget—not in this year's budget, last year's budget. Get on with the game, Son!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Evans, resume your seat. Senator Ronaldson, you've got to withdraw that.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You've got to withdraw because I called on a member of the other side the other day to withdraw. You know what you need to withdraw.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the interest of fairness, I will do so.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So the question is highly hypocritical and just exposes Senator Abetz's performance in this chamber.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I remind the minister that the amount was in last year's budget before they promised 'no carbon tax'. You did change your policy. My question is: Can the minister inform the Senate if it is now routine government policy—

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz, I cannot hear you. Those on my right, Senator Abetz is entitled to be heard, just as, when the minister is answering, those on my left need to be quiet.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister inform the Senate if it is now routine government policy to develop the advertising plans for government policies before developing the policies themselves? Can the minister understand why Australian families might regard such a practice as excessively cynical, even for this cynical government?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will tell you what Australian families will be doing. They will be listening to this question and saying, 'Where have the Liberal Party gone? Why are they not addressing the issues of mental health, schools, tertiary education and all the issues that are important to Australians?' We have a question, first of all, about what is not in the budget, a supplementary about what was in last year's budget and then a clever question that tried to bring them all together that said, 'Spending in last year's budget was for a program you did not introduce until this year's budget.' You are a disgrace. This is a complete nonsense.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, a point of order is on relevance: there was nothing in the answer to the primary question other than abuse of the Leader of the Opposition. There was nothing in the answer to the supplementary question other than abuse of the Leader of the Opposition. Although the minister has 21 seconds to go—

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brandis, there is a discussion that is taking place very close to you and I am being distracted by that.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I didn't say a word!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did not say you had said a word. Senator Brandis, you are entitled to be heard.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Although the minister has 21 seconds to go, there has been nothing so far in this answer other than abuse of the Leader of the Opposition. Given that there has been literally nothing relevant in the answers to the primary question and the first supplementary question, it is not too soon, Mr President, for you now to rule—given the approach that the minister is taking—that his answer is not relevant and he should be drawn to the question.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, you have 21 seconds remaining to answer the question. There is no point of order.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have made it very clear to the Senate that the procedures in relation to carbon price being reflected in the budget will be the procedures that have applied in the past, as they were when the GST was introduced. It is a shame that the Liberal Party are so incompetent that they have no questions about the budget. (Time expired)