Carbon Tax

27 May 2016 11:18 AMMichael Hart

Queensland Parliament Hansard Green
DATE: 11/05/2016
FILE: 11052016_001013_LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY_GREEN CHAMBER.DOCX
SUBJECT: Carbon Tax
MEMBER: Mr HART
Carbon Tax
Mr HART (Burleigh—LNP) (2.44 pm): It is great to see those opposite awake this afternoon because lately they have been completely asleep at the wheel, just like half the members were last night. Last night and this morning there seems to be a great deal of confusion in those opposite. There has been a series of press releases going this way, that way; those opposite changing their minds, changing their positions. That is typical of this government. They are flip-flopping all over the place. This morning we had the Deputy Premier talking about infrastructure that had already been built as part of her infrastructure plan. We had the Treasurer talking about his economic plan. But the biggest issue comes from the minister for energy.
Opposition members interjected.
Mr SPEAKER: Members of the government, there are too many disruptive comments. I would urge you to consider your comments or you will be warned.
Mr HART: This morning I listened intently to the minister for the environment when he stood up and said that he is taking this state toward a low carbon future. As the new shadow minister for energy I sat here yesterday, as members can appreciate, and I listened to the points that were being made by the minister for energy when he answered a Dorothy Dixer from the member for Logan. In that Dorothy Dixer he said—
We are in the process of transitioning from a low carbon energy sector, and as a result energy supply is undergoing transformational change…
Who is right? One of our ministers is saying we are transitioning to a low carbon emission system and the other one is saying we are going from it. As part of that reply the minister tabled this document. I turned quickly to page 19 and what did I see? A carbon tax! That is what this government is proposing.
Mr BAILEY: I rise to a point of order. The member is misleading the House. The document does not mention the words ‘carbon tax’.
Mr SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.
Mr HART: On page 19 it says—
Fossil fuel generation levy.
Imposing an additional levy on coal and/or gas generation would act as a de facto carbon price…
Is that a carbon tax? We have had a conga line of ministers stand up here this morning and none of them have had the intestinal fortitude to do what the former prime minister of this country did. Prime minister Gillard stood on the Kangaroo Point cliffs with Brisbane in the background and said, ‘There will be no carbon tax under a government I lead.’ Has anybody opposite said that this morning?