Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to comments made by the Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business earlier this week:

Small businesses don't pay the carbon price - it is a price paid by Australia's biggest polluters.

Given the Prime Minister confirmed last week that, as of July 2014, transport fuels are covered by the carbon tax, doesn't this mean that thousands of additional small businesses in the transport sector will now actually be paying even more for Labor's carbon tax through higher fuel prices?

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

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

Order, on my right! Senator Ryan has asked a question and I need silence on both my right and my left.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again those opposite seek to misrepresent the facts to the Australian public. Those opposite continue with their fear campaign. They deliberately misrepresent and overstate the impact of the carbon tax. The carbon tax, according to those opposite, was going to wreak havoc across the economy. What have we seen?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order, on both sides!

Honourable senators interjecting—

When there is silence on both sides we will proceed. Order on my right and on my left!

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite have no end to their misleading and deceptive discussion on this issue. As the Council of Small Business Australia data shows, the electricity cost of a typical small retail business makes up less than two per cent of total costs—less than two per cent. So a 10 per cent price increase would be less than 0.2 per cent of total costs. For a typical small business using 10 megawatt hours of electricity per year, this is around $5 per week.

Opposition senators interjecting—

In most cases, business electricity costs are expected to be passed on, and have been taken into account in the design of the government's Household Assistance Package, which is delivering tax cuts, higher family payments and an increase in pensions.

Opposition senators interjecting—

And we have put in place a range of programs.

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

Order! It is not much use, if you are asking for an answer to the question, debating it whilst the question is being answered. There should be no-one interjecting from the other side as well. Senator Conroy, continue—you have 15 seconds.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have put in place a range of programs to support small business. For example, we have increased the instant asset write-off to $6,500. So, for those opposite to continue— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware of ASIC data which shows that small business insolvencies have hit a record high over the past 12 months, since the carbon tax was introduced? When will the government finally concede that its carbon tax has made the operating and input costs of running a small business more expensive at a time when few have the capacity to absorb this impost or pass it on to consumers?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Never let the facts get in the way of the opposition's propaganda. I will repeat myself, because it is clear that, despite the fact that I have already answered this, those opposite are reading out their pre-prepared questions. So let me again state: the Council of Small Business Australia data shows the electricity cost of a typical small retail business makes up less than two per cent of total costs.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have no idea.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, it is not what you hear—well, you should get out more. A 10 per cent price increase would be less than 0.2 per cent of total costs. So I repeat: for a typical small business using 10 megawatt hours of electricity per year, this is around $5 a week. So those involved in this hysterical, deceitful—(Time expired)

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. The minister is right, I was reading. I can read, and I can also count. I refer the minister to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Small Business Pre-Election Survey, which reported that 63 per cent of small businesses nominated abolition of the carbon tax as the most important thing the government could do to help their small business—63 per cent. Why won't the government rescind the planned five per cent increase in the carbon tax due next Monday in order to give small business some help—or do we have to wait for tomorrow morning's ballot?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, never let the facts or the truth get in the way of an opposition in question time. The fact they do not like—more than any other—is that the carbon price is working.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is driving investment in new renewable energy sources and it is reducing emissions. Emissions in the national electricity market fell by 7.4 per cent in the first 11 months—

Opposition senators interjecting—

I know those opposite do not want to accept simple, straightforward facts. The emissions in the national electricity market fell by 7.4 per cent in the first 11 months of carbon pricing. That is a reduction of 12 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. We have also seen electricity generation from renewable energy that is sold on the national electricity market increase by almost 30 per cent. It is doing this— (Time expired)