Ms LEY (3:29 PM) —My question is to the Treasurer. I refer to the Treasurer’s comments reported today that his new tax on LPG had already been incorporated in the forward estimates. Can the Treasurer advise the House where in the forward estimates in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 budget papers this new tax appears?

Mr SWAN (Treasurer) —I welcome this question. I had a question yesterday from the shadow minister and Leader of the National Party about this. These were measures that were originally announced in the 2003 budget. They were announced by those opposite when the member over there was a minister in the Howard government. They were supposed to commence on 1 July 2008. This was an initiative of the coalition government.

Mr Pyne —Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. You have often admonished the opposition for not asking specific enough questions. This question could not have been more specific. It actually asked where in the budget papers these forecasts can be found. Given his statement today—

The SPEAKER —The member for Sturt has made his point his point of order. He will resume his seat. I am listening carefully to the Treasurer. The Treasurer is responding to the question. I invite members to listen to the Treasurer’s response.

Mr SWAN —They were originally supposed to apply from 1 July 2008. They were announced in the coalition budget of 2003. That is the first thing that happened—and it happened when the member opposite was a minister in that government. And he had the hide to get up and ask a question yesterday as if this was an initiative that had been put forward by this Labor government. It was not. The former Howard government subsequently deferred this until 1 July 2011 in the 2004 budget. Those changes have been an ongoing feature of government budget estimates ever since that time. I cannot believe that we are getting this question today from that frontbencher over there after the bungle yesterday.

The industry has been aware of all of this since that time. This was an initiative that was agreed with industry at that time. The agreement was that the taxation arrangements would be gradually phased in over four years—a feature of budgets since the time that they were in government. And they have the hide to come in here and claim that somehow it is a government initiative. This has been a feature of budgets and has been incorporated in estimates since that time. You should be ashamed of yourself.