Mr KURRUPUWU - 2013-10-08
Our new Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has promised to scrap the carbon tax which will cut the cost of Territory power bills. Can you advise the Assembly what impediments stand in the way of Territorians having this reduction to their power bills?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question. The member for Arafura has been quite dogged on the carbon tax issue. He has raised it with me a number of times. He is very concerned about his constituents on the Tiwi Islands and the impact the carbon tax has on them, to the point that at the last sittings he turned up with his own motion on the matter. Good on you, member for Arafura, you are doing a damned good job.
The member for Arafura highlights that Tony Abbott has promised to scrap the carbon tax, something he has talked about for a long time. I do not believe there is a person in Australia who follows politics who does not understand that Tony Abbott now has a strong mandate to scrap the carbon tax. Looking at some of the figures from Treasury about what that means, they inform me that about 0.7 of 1% will come off the CPI when the carbon tax is scrapped. That is a significant amount.
It is interesting when you look at the election of Tony Abbott, the newly elected senators, particularly those from the Palmer United Party, have said they recognise Tony Abbott has a strong mandate to scrap the carbon tax. When they step forward in the senate on 1 July next year we will be ready to step up to the plate and oppose that.
The member for Arafura asked what impediments stand in the way of Territorians getting this scrapped. There is one impediment: Labor in the senate. A number of federal Labor members have said they will oppose Tony Abbott’s efforts to scrap the carbon tax. The Palmer United Party and the other senators come in on 1 July next year. It is our strong view the carbon tax needs to be scrapped right now.
In that regard, I call on federal Labor to review its decision to oppose scrapping the carbon tax. I also call on the Opposition Leader, who has supported the carbon tax so strongly and fiercely over the years, to step up to the plate and recognise Tony Abbott has a strong mandate to scrap the carbon tax and start pleading with her federal colleagues to get out of the way and let the people’s choice take rein and allow Tony Abbott to scrap this jobs destroying tax.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question. The member for Arafura has been quite dogged on the carbon tax issue. He has raised it with me a number of times. He is very concerned about his constituents on the Tiwi Islands and the impact the carbon tax has on them, to the point that at the last sittings he turned up with his own motion on the matter. Good on you, member for Arafura, you are doing a damned good job.
The member for Arafura highlights that Tony Abbott has promised to scrap the carbon tax, something he has talked about for a long time. I do not believe there is a person in Australia who follows politics who does not understand that Tony Abbott now has a strong mandate to scrap the carbon tax. Looking at some of the figures from Treasury about what that means, they inform me that about 0.7 of 1% will come off the CPI when the carbon tax is scrapped. That is a significant amount.
It is interesting when you look at the election of Tony Abbott, the newly elected senators, particularly those from the Palmer United Party, have said they recognise Tony Abbott has a strong mandate to scrap the carbon tax. When they step forward in the senate on 1 July next year we will be ready to step up to the plate and oppose that.
The member for Arafura asked what impediments stand in the way of Territorians getting this scrapped. There is one impediment: Labor in the senate. A number of federal Labor members have said they will oppose Tony Abbott’s efforts to scrap the carbon tax. The Palmer United Party and the other senators come in on 1 July next year. It is our strong view the carbon tax needs to be scrapped right now.
In that regard, I call on federal Labor to review its decision to oppose scrapping the carbon tax. I also call on the Opposition Leader, who has supported the carbon tax so strongly and fiercely over the years, to step up to the plate and recognise Tony Abbott has a strong mandate to scrap the carbon tax and start pleading with her federal colleagues to get out of the way and let the people’s choice take rein and allow Tony Abbott to scrap this jobs destroying tax.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016