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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-06-12 Daily Xml
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CARBON TAX

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg) (14:27): My question is also to the Treasurer. How is it that the carbon tax that will be paid by taxpayers is only $10 million a year, when the internal transport documents briefings indicate a $15 million impact on that department alone?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:27): The information provided—I assume, as always, by the media for the opposition to frame a question—was drawn from a number of internal memoranda about what would happen if something else occurred. Can I say this: we are talking about public transport. We have actually set the public transport fares for this year. From memory, the CPI was 3.3, that's it.

Mr Marshall: We're not talking about the price: we're talking about the cost.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: 'We're not talking about the price: we're talking about the cost.' Can I say this to the member—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Can I say this to the member for Norwood, given that the premise was about what people will pay, what they are worried about is what—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Norwood!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I don't know what has happened recently to the future candidate for Norwood, but he seems to have become very agitated, even more than normal. So, what I would say is the pricing of public transport is out there. It has moved by CPI.

The truth is that over the next 12 months there will be further impacts upon CPI; one of them will be a carbon price. Other matters will also make an impact upon the CPI, and at some time next year the budget committee will get together and determine, among other things, what the prices for public transport should be. But can I say this: the truth is that there is a price on carbon. The truth is that we—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister is answering the question.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: 'Why won't I own up to it?' There will be a price on carbon. We will have to pay a price on carbon. That is the whole point of pricing carbon, to change—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: My point of order is one of relevance. The question was: how is it that the Treasurer is saying the total cost of the carbon tax on the South Australian budget will be $10 million when it is $15 million just on the transport department—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: —as revealed by documents from that department.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Minister, continue your answer.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: They asked me about the effect of the carbon price and I said that there will be a cost of carbon, and they say I am not answering the question. The truth is that, as I have said to the question before—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Can you please stop?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Can I say very clearly to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that I don't think he has three votes anymore. I just don't think he has his three votes anymore. Let me—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my right also, order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: The point I am trying to make is we, if you like, confess there will be a price to pay for carbon; that is the nature of it. The truth is—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will be quiet.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I thought that cartoon was very, very flattering of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. The truth is we believe that a price should be paid on carbon. They do not.

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, again of relevance. What we are trying to find out is the truth, Patrick. What is the truth? $15 million in your department—

The SPEAKER: Order! Thank you.

Mr WILLIAMS: —or $10 million across the whole of government?

The SPEAKER: This is not an opportunity to make a statement yourself. You will sit down. There is no point of order. Minister.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: If I can make the point so he understands: there were some forecasts. What will occur over the next year is that there will be a price to be paid for carbon. There will be other prices that affect the department of transport, including the international price of diesel. One of the things that we have done in this state to future proof ourselves, being, I have to say, people who look to the future, unlike the opposition—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: —is that we now have so much more of our electricity generated in this state produced by low-carbon emissions. So, we have managed to change the impact by being ahead of the game. At the end of the day, the CPI figures will be the CPI figures for next year and there will be a judgement as to what will be passed on. In my view, you will find that this disaster that you claim is the carbon tax has a very marginal impact.

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