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Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Page: 4466

Carbon Pricing

Senator MASON (Queensland) (14:50): My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Senator Wong. Can the minister advise the Senate of any modelling the government has commissioned on the impact of its carbon tax on Australia's universities?

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Finance and Deregulation) (14:50): As the senator would know—and I am surprised he did not ask the question of Senator Evans—this is a government that is making record investments in Australia's universities. He might come in here and try to construct some convoluted argument that, amongst the things that are going to fall apart when this country prices carbon—as Prime Minister Howard promised to do—is the Australian tertiary education sector, but I would suggest to him that that is simply untrue and an example of more scare­mongering by the opposition. This govern­ment is making record investments in Australia's university system. This govern­ment is seeing additional students going to Australia's universities, including more from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. These are good things.

Senator Brandis: Mr President, on a point of order: this answer has no bearing whatsoever on the question that was asked. The question asked whether modelling had been undertaken. The question more broadly asked about the impact of the carbon tax on universities. Nothing the minister has said has had anything whatsoever to do with either the narrower or the broader implications of the question.

The PRESIDENT: Minister, I draw the question to your attention. There is one minute and seven seconds remaining for you to address the question.

Senator WONG: I was simply making the point that the backdrop of the carbon price is unprecedented investment in Australia's universities. I know the opposition may not wish to recognise that the carbon price will come in at a point where we have a federal government which has delivered to the university sector 100,000 more students than when we came to government. That is the context in which the carbon price will be in place.

It is the case that, as consumers of energy, there is an impact through energy prices on the university sector, as there is on others. But as I said, this is in the context of a government that has made very substantial and significant additional investments in universities and has delivered 100,000—

Senator Ian Macdonald: Are they going to get any compensation?

Senator WONG: One hundred thousand more students are now attending Australia's universities as a result of the policies of this government. That may be something the opposition does not wish to talk about, but those remain the facts.

Senator MASON (Queensland) (14:53): Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. If there is no modelling that the minister is aware of, can the minister advise the Senate of the government's estimate of the direct and indirect financial impact of the carbon tax on universities? Is the minister aware that the total direct and indirect costs for an average sized university of 25,000 students will be just under $7 million a year in 2012-13, making the total cost for the sector at least $280 million in the first year and rising every year thereafter?

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Finance and Deregulation) (14:54): We have released a very substantial amount of whole-of-economy modelling—

Senator Ian Macdonald: When are you releasing it? When are you going to show us?

Senator Carr: You have got to be able to read. That helps.

The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, continue. Ignore the interjections. They are disorderly. You know that.

Senator WONG: I just thought I would wait for him to stop, Mr President—undertaken by the Treasury. It is the case that the government has made—

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, ignore the interjections. They are disorderly.

Senator WONG: The government has released a range of details about household price impacts. Included in that was electricity, which was on average—this is for households—$3.30 a week. Obviously the question the senator is asking would be answered by how much energy a university uses. I am not sure we have done an average price across all universities in this country.

Senator MASON (Queensland) (14:55): Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister confirm whether any of Australia's 39 private or public universities are any of the top 500 polluters that will be slugged with the carbon tax? If so, which are they?

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Finance and Deregulation) (14:55): I think Mr Combet has previously been asked by the opposition to name the polluters, which was an interesting question for the opposition to put. We have declined to do that for obvious reasons, but we have indicated the sorts of industries that you would anticipate—

Senator Ronaldson: You can't get away with an answer like that. You either know who they are or you don't.

The PRESIDENT: I remind those interjecting that it is disorderly. If you want to debate it, debate is after three o'clock. Senator Wong, continue.

Senator WONG: As I was saying, the government has declined to release the details of the companies. I think that is reasonable. We have outlined the sorts of industries you would anticipate and they are highly emissions intensive industries. That is unsurprising. We have gone through a process of discussing in great detail with industry the sort of assistance that is required and many of those industries will be receiving assistance. (Time expired)