Steve Minnikin, State Member for Chatsworth made the following speech in Parliament today.
I rise in this chamber to discuss the recently introduced carbon tax and the effects it is already having on parts on the economy. I acknowledge that some of my colleagues have raised this issue in the lead-up to the tax’s introduction on 1 July, but I want to inform the House of the impact it is having on businesses within my Chatsworth electorate and beyond.Most people in my electorate of Chatsworth will pay the carbon tax in their electricity and gas bills and will experience this delightful fact when they start to receive their first quarterly bills in a few months time. We are aware that electricity companies are already sending out notices to households and businesses confirming the price rise. The government’s own estimates are for a price rise of 10 per cent over five years. But, as my colleagues here today will attest to, in many cases that rise has occurred on day one and wipes out the so-called compensation. Continue reading »