Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Abetz. Will the minister advise the Senate why it is so important to remove the carbon tax?

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

It is so important to remove the carbon tax—

Senator Lines interjecting—

For Senator Lines's information, it is so important because the Labor Party went to the election in 2010 promising that there would be no carbon tax and then went to the 2013 election saying that they had already removed the carbon tax. The Labor Party did the exact opposite of that which they promised the Australian people. But, setting aside that hypocrisy, let me get to Senator Back's question.

The carbon tax is a blot on our economy. It is hitting holes in the family budgets of everyday Australians. It is impacting on the cost of living to the tune of $550 per annum for the average Australian family. It is costing jobs, be it in manufacturing—the average dairy farm pays an extra $10,000 per annum for the carbon tax just on the family farm—

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Don't you talk about manufacturing; you chased the car industry away!

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

Senator Cameron interjects about manufacturing jobs. He presided over a government that saw the demise of 140,000 manufacturing jobs, partially due to the carbon tax that they championed. The bad thing about all of this is that not only does it attack the cost of living, attack jobs and attack investment but it also does nothing for the environment, as has been proven time and time again. It is a $15,000 million hit on our economy over a two-year period. It is costing us $11 million per day. As the Labor Party continue to attach themselves, limpet like, to this carbon tax, which they promised they would never introduce and they promised to get rid of, they are destroying jobs and the cost of living in our nation. (Time expired)

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate what impediments now exist to removing the carbon tax?

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

(—) (): The major impediment to the removal of the carbon tax is Mr Shorten and the Australian Labor Party. After about 40 hours of debate in relation to these measures in this place we still do not have a resolution. After about three to four hours of debate in committee on just the first amendment, those opposite—the Labor Party and the Greens—have been unable to bring themselves to vote on simply that one amendment. So, having promised no carbon tax and having promised to remove the carbon tax, the Labor senators in this chamber are doing everything they can to keep the carbon tax on life support. The major impediment, Senator Back, to the removal of the carbon tax is Mr Shorten's manic determination to keep the carbon tax, which makes me think that if he were ever to become Prime Minister he would reintroduce the carbon tax. (Time expired)

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is it a fact that 66 of the 76 senators were elected on a platform of either having no carbon tax or removing the carbon tax?

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

(—) (): It will not surprise the Senate to learn that Senator Back is absolutely right: 66 members of this body were elected on either having no carbon tax or getting rid of the carbon tax. Yet it seems impossible to shift Mr Shorten and his 25 Labor senators in this place to do that which they promised the Australian people. The failure of this place to pass the repeal of the carbon tax is as much a blot on the body politic of this nation as the carbon tax is a blot on the economy of this nation. Mr Shorten has a decision to make. He can continue to be in lock step with Senator Milne and the Australian Greens, although they were the architects of Labor's demise and of the carbon tax. If they want to remain in lock step, so be it, but Mr Shorten needs to come clean—would he introduce a carbon tax? (Time expired)