LEON BYNER: Simon Birmingham, the deal’s done; the Greens are cracking the Champagne.
SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Indeed they are, Leon. The Greens were in the Chamber just a few minutes ago when the carbon tax passed. They are like the cat that got the cream and of course they have done so at the expense of every traditional principle the Labor Party really has ever held dear to itself and they should stand condemned and of course Julia Gillard, who promised Australians at the last election that there would be no carbon tax under a government she leads, should stand very much condemned for backflipping on that promise, not in a courageous act as some have described it, Leon, but just as a naked grab for power because she had to do this deal with the Greens.
LEON BYNER: So, we’ve got the carbon tax that’ll come in in July and your government’s [sic] saying if you get into government you’ll repeal it?
SIMON BIRMINGHAM: This is bad policy it’s bad policy today, Leon; it’ll be bad policy next year or whenever the election is held and we will work to repeal it. We believe that a policy that doesn’t actually reduce emissions in Australia and that’s a key point for everyone to remember but, as you just highlighted, outsources responsibility to the rest of the world will see Australian companies spending around $3 billion in 2020 and more than $50 billion by 2050 all of those in today’s dollar terms on purchasing international permits is just a ridiculous policy. It imposes unreasonable costs on every Australian household, every Australian small business, big business, industry etc, 10 per cent power price increases minimum from next year. Senator Xenophon and the Coalition worked together to try to at least minimise the potential for those 10 per cent power prices [increases] to blow out to 20 per cent increases but were again blocked by Labor and the Greens.
LEON BYNER: Alright, thank you Simon…
[ends]