In the News
Thursday, 14 July 2011
The Gillard Government’s determination to introduce a Carbon Tax has been met with anger and concern in our local community, said the Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke.
Mr Hawke said he had spoken with many local families who were anxious about how they would now pay for increases in the price of electricity, food, and other household expenses.
“The overwhelming message I hear from our community is that the Carbon Tax will significantly impact on household budgets,” Mr Hawke said.
“Many local residents are already struggling with increasing costs, in particular, electricity prices which surged under ten years of New South Wales Labor Government. There is real anxiety in our community about the consequences of this Carbon Tax.
“We all understand the importance of protecting and preserving our precious environment. But what was announced by the Gillard Government this week was more about imposing a new tax than delivering an environmental benefit.
“The Gillard Government seems unwilling to either tell us, or unsure to what extent their Carbon Tax will impact on future global temperatures. Yet we have to pay.”
Mr Hawke said the Government’s own explanation of the Carbon Tax was contributing to anxiety in our community, and he had also spoken with numerous local residents who had been unable to estimate the impact the Carbon Tax will have on their household budgets.
“The Government was quick to promote the taxpayer-funded Clean Energy Future website and encouraged people to find out the impact of the Carbon Tax,” Mr Hawke said. “But what many local residents have told me is that the ‘compensation’ falls far short of what this Tax will cost.
“We should be in no doubt, many local residents will be worse off under this Tax.
“The taxpayer-funded Clean Energy Future website also had a flaw and many local residents had been unable to estimate the impact of the Gillard Government’s Tax. This failure only leads to greater anxiety and frustration for local residents worried about the impact of this new Tax.
“Prime Minister Gillard must listen to the concerns of our community. She must abandon this Carbon tax, a tax that will hurt many local families, without any tangible benefit for the environment,” Mr Hawke said.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Households in the Mitchell community will be forced to pay around $120 more a year for groceries, thanks to Labor’s toxic Carbon Tax, said the Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke.
“The Australian Food and Grocery Council estimates that the Carbon Tax will add $120 a year to household grocery bills – that’s three times Labor’s estimate of $40,” Mr Hawke said.
“Treasury says that food prices will rise less than one percent under the Carbon Tax, but the Treasurer has been unable to explain by how much a single can of tomatoes will increase.
“Food prices have already increased five percent in the first nine months of the Gillard Government, which has done nothing to cushion households from the spiraling cost of living.
“Australian Food and Grocery Council boss Kate Carnell says that Treasury’s estimate does not stack up to business reality – the cost of the Carbon Tax will inevitably be passed on to consumers.”
Mr Hawke said the Carbon Tax will cascade down all of the supply chain, from farming to food processing, from transport to storage, from refrigeration to lighting.
“Food retailers and restaurants in the Hills cannot control the prices charged by their suppliers, or avoid paying more for electricity,” Mr Hawke said.
“Higher food prices are just one of many cost increases that Labor’s Carbon Tax will impose on local households; its own figures show that households get slugged $515 a year in their cost of living.
“While the carbon price will start at $23 a tonne, after three years it will float with the market and go up and up and up. Labor’s own modeling reveals that the carbon price will increase to $37 a tonne in 2020 and over $350 a tonne in 2050.”
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Labor’s Carbon Tax will hurt homeowners, renters, builders and manufacturers in the Hills who are already struggling under Labor’s financial mismanagement and the worsening housing shortage, said the Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP.
“Julia Gillard’s $23-per-tonne Carbon Tax will add at least $5,000 to the cost of building an average new home and this is expected to flow on to the cost of existing homes,” Mr Hawke said.
“Homeowners in the Hills are already facing higher electricity costs, gas bills, and water rates while rents are also rising well above inflation.
“With a national housing shortage of 202,400 homes and low levels of housing affordability, the last thing we need is a hike in the cost of construction and development that will result in higher mortgage repayments and higher rents.
“Builders already have to meet strict energy efficiency requirements. The industry does not need another impost, especially one that will provide no environmental gain.”
Mr Hawke said that the housing sector is dominated by small sub-contractors who will not receive any compensation under the Carbon Tax.
“Self employed people are effectively being punished by this Carbon tax,” Mr Hawke said. “They are the big losers out of Julia Gillard’s wealth redistribution.
“The Carbon Tax will also cost jobs in the Australian building product manufacturing sector, which will struggle to compete with similar producers in countries with no carbon tax. Building products like kitchen cabinets and benchtops, windows and doors will all increase in price, for no environmental gain.
“The housing sector in is just another victim of Julia Gillard’s ‘not under the Government I lead’ Carbon Tax,” Mr Hawke said.
Monday, 11 July 2011
The Labor-Greens Carbon Tax will drive up prices, threaten jobs, and do nothing for the environment, said the Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke.
“Australia’s forgotten families are already struggling and the Carbon Tax will make a bad situation worse with a $515 a year hit on their cost of living,”Mr Hawke said.
“The people of the Hills will have to pay more for everything under Julia Gillard’s Carbon Tax – the biggest and most punitive Carbon Tax in the world.”
The Carbon Tax means:
· a $9 billion a year new tax.
· a 10 percent hike in electricity bills in the first year alone. And that’s just for starters.
· a 9 percent hike in gas bills in the first year alone. And that’s just for starters.
· higher marginal tax rates for low and middle income earners.
· a $4.3 billion hit on the Budget bottom line.
“Millions of middle-income families will be worse off under Julia Gillard’s Carbon Tax,” Mr Hawke said.
“A policeman and a nurse each earning $70,000 a year with one dependent child will, on average, be $230 a year worse off even after compensation. Should this couple do some extra shifts and each earn an extra $5000 a year, that bill will increase to $528. These parents, trying to get ahead and provide for their families, will be penalised by Julia Gillard’s Carbon Tax.
“This go-it-alone Carbon Tax will also impose a heavy cost on Australian industries that their overseas competitors will not face. Australian jobs will be sent offshore for no environmental gain. It will push up the price of electricity, gas, transport and food. Our local small businesses will face increased costs, with no direct support.
“Julia Gillard has betrayed the Australian people. Six days prior to the last election, she said ‘there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead’. The day before the election she said ‘I rule out a Carbon Tax’. The Australian people deserve a say on the Carbon Tax. It should not be introduced before the next election.”
Mr Hawke said there was a better way—the Coalition’s Direct Action plan is a strong and effective policy that will reduce carbon emissions by five percent by 2020 without a new tax. The Coalition’s Direct Action plan is costed, capped, and fully funded from savings to the Budget. Direct Action means no costs to households, no new taxes, and no increase in electricity prices as a result of the policy.
“The Coalition’s commitment to the Australian people is clear—we will do everything in our power to fight this toxic tax. The Coalition will oppose it in opposition and rescind it in government. There must be no Carbon Tax without a mandate,” Mr Hawke said.
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Federal MP, Alex Hawke, has issued an invitation to the Prime Minister to visit the Mitchell Electorate and hear first-hand local residents’ views and concerns about a Carbon Tax.
“Prime Minister Gillard this week in Parliament said she would be willing to engage with the public about her Carbon Tax,” Mr Hawke said. “She said she would be wearing out her shoe leather in coming times in order to discuss her new Tax.
“I am offering the Prime Minister a chance to come to the Mitchell electorate. Here is her chance to hear how a Carbon Tax will impact on local families, seniors, and small businesses.
“Here is her chance to put some substance into her rhetoric.”
Mr Hawke said that the Mitchell Electorate has the highest incidence of families in the nation. If the Prime Minister was sincere in her desire to hear the concerns of families, she would find her way to the Hills Shire.
“Many local residents, those new to the electorate and those who have been here for some time, tell me about how difficult it is to pay for the increases in electricity prices that have taken place under NSW Labor in the last decade,” Mr Hawke said.
“A Carbon Tax will impact on the cost of electricity. It will surge right through our society.
“I hear from residents in Kellyville, Castle Hill, Rouse Hill, Beaumont Hills, to Baulkham Hills—household budgets are already under strain. “
Mr Hawke said there was additional incentive for the Prime Minister to visit the Mitchell Electorate, as this would provide her the opportunity to hear about the need to redirect Federal Government funding to the North West rail link.
“The efforts to have the Prime Minister come and see how important this rail infrastructure is to our local community have so far been unsuccessful.
“My hope is that the Prime Minister’s eyes can be opened to the importance of this project and why it should receive Federal Government support.
“Prime Minister Gillard, this is your chance to hear the concerns of our local community,” Mr Hawke said.