Eggleston, Sen Alan

Senator EGGLESTON (Western Australia) (14:17): Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that the minister clearly cannot guarantee comp­ensation and in the light of the fact there will be a 10 per cent increase in electricity prices in just the first year of the carbon tax, can the minister explain how hospitals, schools, courts, police, libraries and road maintenance will be able to deal with the multimillion dollar impact on their costs? Will the minister advise us whether there will simply have to be— The PRESIDENT: The time for asking the question has expired. It would have helped if you had not had a preface to your supplementary question.