E&OE….
Topics: Bill Shorten’s commitment to bring back Labor’s painful carbon tax, Renewable Energy Target, Antarctica.
GREG HUNT:
Look, I just want to say a few words this morning about a very interesting development overnight. This morning, a year into the job, Bill Shorten’s big announcement is he’s bringing the carbon tax back. If Bill Shorten is re-elected he will force the carbon tax on the Australian population again. The Australian people voted clearly, categorically, absolutely.
They said no to higher electricity prices. They said no to higher gas prices. They said no to extra pressure on jobs. Mr Shorten does not listen. Mr Shorten has not heard the Australian people. Since the carbon tax has been repealed, we have seen electricity prices come down around the country. Since the carbon tax has been repealed, we’ve seen gas prices come down around the country. We’ve seen pressure come off manufacturers.
So if Bill Shorten is re-elected, it doesn’t matter what he calls it, if it looks like a carbon tax, if it hurts like a carbon tax, if it works like a carbon tax, it is a carbon tax.
JOURNALIST:
But Labor’s always maintained it’s committed to putting a price on carbon through a market mechanism, so is this really a surprise?
GREG HUNT:
What we have today is a confirmation that Mr Shorten is intending to punish families. He’s intending to punish families. He’s intending to punish businesses. He’s intending to punish the Australian economy with a tax that doesn’t work but does hurt. What he’s saying is the Labor Party is for higher electricity and gas prices.
We’re not. We won’t accept it. We’ve abolished it once. We will protect the Australian economy against a tax which does hurt, but ultimately which is futile and doesn’t do the job. It doesn’t even have any significant impact on emissions.
JOURNALIST:
If Labor takes this policy to the next election, how damaging would it be for them?
GREG HUNT:
Look, this is a breach of faith for the Australian people. The Australian people will make their judgement. But our view is very clear. It does damage to families, it does damage to jobs, it does damage to the economy and it doesn’t work in reducing emissions in any significant way.
So Mr Shorten has to be honest. It’s a carbon tax. He knows it. We know it. The Australian people know it. He should at least be honest and call it for what it is.
JOURNALIST:
Can you give us an update on negotiations with Labor on the Renewable Energy Target?
GREG HUNT:
Look, we’ve started discussions with the ALP. I appreciate the fact that they’ve been constructive. We will work to achieve a balanced outcome. We’ve been committed right for the whole duration towards a genuine commitment and a continuation of the 20% Renewable Energy Target.
But we can do this by taking pressure off jobs, pressure off families, pressure off electricity prices. So we will work constructively with the ALP and with the crossbench to achieve a balanced, sensible outcome which gives protection for jobs, protection for families but which achieves our goal of renewable energy for Australia.
JOURNALIST:
There’s no mention of the RET by the Prime Minister this morning. It’s a hot topic here in Tasmania. Is he trying to avoid scrutiny by not bringing that up today?
GREG HUNT:
No not at all. Look, we are talking about it openly and we have invited the ALP to negotiations. We have commenced discussions and we’re very clear – we want to achieve an outcome that guarantees the long-term future for renewable energy but in a way that takes pressure off families and businesses.
JOURNALIST:
(Inaudible)
GREG HUNT:
Well everything of course is part of a balanced outcome and so I won’t speculate on individual measures. But we’re the ones that want to take pressure off manufacturing, off jobs, off workers, to give Tasmanians a long-term future in manufacturing and to give broader Australian industries a long-term future and we can do that if we get an agreement and I hope we can and I believe we can.
JOURNALIST:
The Greens leader slammed your comments in relation to walruses in Antarctica. Do you want to clear that up?
GREG HUNT:
Oh look, it’s just been absolutely ridiculous on her part. We released a statement yesterday which was a 20 year commitment. A 20 year commitment to the Antarctic about making Hobart, making Tasmania a national centre, a global centre for partnering.
We’re working with China. We’re working with other countries. And the big picture, the big vision is that we can lead the world in Antarctic science. We can lead the world in Antarctic provisioning, and that we can be a centre of global excellence in polar education.
JOURNALIST:
You don’t say anything about walruses this week (inaudible)?
GREG HUNT:
Oh look, let’s be focused on the big thing and be absolutely clear – we’re setting a target, we’re setting a plan to make Hobart and Tasmania a global gateway for the Antarctic.
Alright, thank you very much.
(ENDS)