Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (14:15): I thank the member for his question. First, I thank him for his frank acknowledgement that electricity prices have been going up and that that is nothing to do with carbon pricing. Often in this place we hear a great distortion about what is happening with electricity prices, with members of the opposition coming into this place and trying to pretend that the electricity price rises Australian families have sustained have somehow been caused by carbon pricing. Yes, electricity has risen. It has risen for a number of reasons. It has risen particularly because there is a need for more investment in electricity, including in electricity distribution. That investment is costly and it has been flowing through to electricity prices. And Australians have not got direct assistance to help them with the cost of that rising electricity. Now to the member I would say: people, I do believe, look at electricity prices. If they can receive good information about how to reduce their energy consumption whilst still doing the things that they need to do in their daily lives and still enjoying all the creature comforts that we are used to and want to keep, I believe people will respond to that information. There are a number of relatively simple things people can do to reduce their electricity consumption and to reduce their carbon pollution, and I believe that many Australians are motivated to do that and that with the better provision of information many more Australians will do that. On the question of carbon pricing and electricity, what I can say to the member is, yes, we have always said that when we were putting a price on carbon pollution to be paid by the biggest 500 polluters in this country— Mr Abbott: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: it is a very simple one on direct relevance. How much more does the price have to rise to change consumer behaviour—a very simple question. If the Prime Minister cannot answer it she should kindly sit down. The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call. Ms GILLARD: I was asked about consumer behaviour and electricity pricing and I am directly dealing with things that can influence consumer behaviour and electricity pricing. I have just talked about questions of information provision to consumers which I believe can make a difference and now I am going on, having been asked about carbon pricing and electricity, to directly explain the impact of carbon pricing on electricity. I was explaining, before I was interrupted by the point of order, that we have always been very clear that the way carbon pricing was going to work was the big polluters would pay the price, so around 500 polluters paying the price, and that there would be flow-through impacts on prices paid by families, including electricity, and that, to assist those families, we would provide tax cuts and increases in family payments and pensions. So I can say to the member, who is professing concern about the impact of electricity prices, that nine out of 10 Australian households will get compensation, will get assistance through tax cuts or increases in payments. Now that is a pretty stark contrast to Australian families having seen electricity prices go up with no assistance directed to help them with those prices and it is a pretty stark contrast too to the opposition's plan to take away all of the assistance we intend to provide and to put on top a new tax of $720 per year. The SPEAKER: Order! I invite the member for Goldstein to apologise and I would allow him to remain in the chamber, even though his mobile phone went off, if he were to acknowledge that it was in error. I invite him to apologise. Mr Robb: I apologise, Mr Speaker. The SPEAKER: I do say that the distraction of mobile phones is something that I think is black and white as to 'disorderly'. I am tempting fate. I am being generous to the member for Goldstein. Mr Robb interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Goldstein wants to tempt fate like that, given that I have had to mention him as interjecting on a number of occasions today. He does not see that he has simply had a favour done, I really think. Sometimes I wonder whether people realise that they have come into the chamber.