Senator Fiona Nash

PM should apologise to regional Australians

The Prime Minister should today apologise for misleading regional Australians that there would be no carbon tax under a government she would lead.

It was a year ago today during the federal election that Prime Minister Gillard made that pledge, on at least 12 occasions.

Senator Nash said regional Australia will feel the brunt of Prime Minister Gillard’s deception in introducing a carbon tax.

Examples include:

• Energy costs for NSW farmers will be $7691 higher under a carbon tax.
• An average abattoir processing 3000 cattle a week will see its electricity bill increased by a quarter of a million dollars in the first year.
• The carbon tax of $23 per tonne will add at least $5,000 to the cost of building an average new home.
• Childcare centres face higher costs under the carbon tax with no direct avenue of support.
• Calculations suggest both government and non-government schools alone could be facing an additional $200 million over the next four years from higher gas and electricity costs alone.
• Access Economics predicts 28,000 jobs would be lost in regional Australia.

Senator Nash said costs will continue to climb once the transport sector is hit by the carbon tax in 2014. Petrol prices will also go up despite being exempt from the carbon tax.

“Petrol stations use electricity, as do refineries. It is inevitable that these higher electricity costs will be passed on at the pump. And it’s an added cost burden that regional Australians cannot avoid because they rely heavily on private transport.

“I am constantly in contact with mums, dads, shop owners, farmers, people right across regional Australia, and they are very concerned about the cost burden a carbon tax will have on their budget.

“The Prime Minister either doesn’t get it, is in complete denial or simply doesn’t care what a carbon tax will mean for regional Australia. She should have attended the rally outside parliament house today to hear those concerns

“The decent thing for her to do is apologise and let the Australian people decide if they want a carbon tax by going to an election.”