Mark Dreyfus QC MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and Federal Member for Isaacs, today announced that all households in the City of Kingston area will this month receive a new information booklet giving details of the assistance available to them and their families under the Federal Government's Clean Energy Future plan.
Mark Dreyfus QC MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and Federal Member for Isaacs, today announced that all households in the City of Kingston area will this month receive a new information booklet giving details of the assistance available to them and their families under the Federal Government's Clean Energy Future plan.
Mr Dreyfus said almost every household would receive tax cuts, and pensions and income support benefits would rise.
Mr Dreyfus said the information would show people how the carbon price worked, and how they would be affected.
"This is not a tax on Australian households. It is about making around 500 of Australia's biggest carbon polluters pay for their pollution.
"We are then going to use every cent of the money raised to deliver tax cuts and increases to pensions and support payments, support jobs and invest in clean energy programs."
Mr Dreyfus said the facts were clear that Australia needed to act on climate change.
"At the same time we need to make sure people on low and middle incomes doing it tough are looked after.
"That's why we are using most of the money raised from a carbon price to assist households cover any costs passed on by business."
Under the Government's Clean Energy Future plan:
- A typical family with two children living in Isaacs with an income of around $85,000 is expected to face average price increases of $570 per year due to the carbon price. However, they will also receive average assistance of around $948 per year, made up of $806 in tax cuts and $142 in increased Family assistance payments. They will be $378 per year better off.
- All 23,900 pensioners in Isaacs will get a pension increase of $338 per year, and on average will be $134 better off after carbon price impacts. Pensioner couples will get $510 per year extra and will be $226 better off compared to average carbon price impacts. Other support payments will also rise, assisting many self-funded retirees, job seekers, students and people on disabilities.
- The tax-free threshold will be tripled to $18,200 from 1 July 2012, which means many low income earners including students and part-time workers will be among more than a million Australians that won't have to fill in a tax return any more.
Further information about the Federal Government's plan for a clean energy future is available at www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au
