CARBON TAX

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:21): My question is to the Treasurer. How is it that the carbon tax will cost South Australian taxpayers only $10 million a year when New South Wales estimates the carbon tax will cost their government $325 million a year and Victoria estimates it will cost their government $481 million? The Treasurer told the media on 6 January this year that the carbon tax would cost taxpayers an extra $10 million a year, but New South Wales and Victoria estimate that theirs will be an average of $325 million and $481 million a year respectively, in their forward estimates.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Treasurer, Minister for Workers Rehabilitation, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:22): Madam Speaker, the answer is quite simple. For one, I would point out that—if anyone hasn't noticed—New South Wales and Victoria both have Liberal state governments, and they have actively been campaigning against a necessary economic reform in putting a price on carbon and transforming this country into a low carbon emission economy, and so of course they are going to—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —paint a bleaker picture in terms of the effect on their state budget—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Well, Madam Speaker, that is a simple fact. Secondly, I would point out that, in New South Wales, there are still state-owned electricity assets. The way the compensation works from the commonwealth, government-owned electricity generators, as I understand it, or as I have been advised, don't receive the same level of compensation as generators that are held in the private sector. So, of course, New South Wales, because of those assets, is particularly exposed in a way that the other states are not.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Florey.