Question Time – Carbon Tax

Mr PITT (Hinkler) (14:13): My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline the economic impact of repealing the world’s biggest carbon tax?

Mr HOCKEY (North Sydney—The Treasurer) (14:13): The world’s biggest carbon tax, you say. We are keeping to our election commitment to get rid of the world’s biggest carbon tax. The Labor Party, unfortunately, is not keeping to its election commitment to terminate the world’s biggest carbon tax.

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Mr HOCKEY: There are teeth moving over there but I cannot see the face. There is something moving—lots of chompers. Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the Townsville termination, when the member for McMahon and the former Prime Minister went up to Townsville and proudly proclaimed that the Labor Party was going to terminate the carbon tax. If Labor was re-elected they were going to terminate the carbon tax. The only problem is that, coming into opposition, Labor is now determined to oppose the termination of the carbon tax. Why? I found out why today. Outside Parliament House, in words that would ring true to everything Labor does—

Ms Butler interjecting—

The SPEAKER: The member for Griffith will desist. Hopefully, she will learn from yesterday.

Mr HOCKEY: the member for McMahon said, in relation to the carbon tax: ‘The Labor Party’s position will remain consistent and clear.’ We are not sure if that was the original position in relation to an ETS, or whether it was the revised position in relation to a carbon tax, or whether it was the revised position on terminating the carbon tax—or who knows what their position is today?

Mr Champion interjecting—

The SPEAKER: The member for Wakefield is warned!

Mr HOCKEY: But we are getting rid of the carbon tax because it is a cost to Australian jobs. We are getting rid of the carbon tax because it is a handbrake on Australia’s economic growth. We are getting rid of the carbon tax because it increases inflation in Australia. We are getting rid of the carbon tax because it reduces our competitive position in relation to a whole range of other countries that we compete with every day in trade and commerce. We are getting rid of the carbon tax so that we can deal directly with the cost-of-living challenges for everyday Australian families. We are getting rid of the carbon tax because the carbon tax is a failed policy. It is flawed policy.

How ironic it is that, after yesterday addressing every question to the carbon tax and after opposing the repeal of the carbon tax on three occasions, today the Labor Party are not even asking a question. They are going to have to defend the carbon tax not just yesterday but for every day up to the next election and beyond, because the carbon tax and the Labor Party are one and the same.