Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Finance and Deregulation) (14:36): I rise with pleasure to take that question from my colleague and to thank him for the opportunity in this new year. Happy New Year to him and to his colleagues. It is a new year but it is the same old set of misinformation and falsehoods from those opposite. In the Treasury are the same people who advised Mr Howard when Mr Howard adopted the policy of a price on carbon, and the Treasury has told Australians in the modelling that has been released that we can grow our economy, grow our incomes and grow employment with a carbon price. The reality is that those opposite have nothing to say except negativity on the economy. We heard from Mr Abbott that somehow this year those opposite were going to become more positive. Opposition senators interjecting— Senator WONG: They were going to tell Australians about their plans to secure jobs and to lock in prosperity today and for future generations, but what do we have when we come into this chamber? We have the same old sleaze from Senator Abetz, we have something incomprehensible from Senator Cormann, who has been rolled when it comes to finances, and we have the National Party back on its old tactic of negativity and tearing down the economy. Senator Williams: Mr President, a point of order on direct relevance to answering the question: I asked if the minister could explain how the carbon tax will provide economic growth and prosperity and all we are getting is the usual attempt at trashing the opposition. Can she please answer the question and be directly relevant to the question? The PRESIDENT: The minister has 37 seconds remaining to answer the question. There is no point of order at this stage. Minister, I am listening closely to your answer. Senator WONG: Thank you, Mr President. I commenced my answer very clearly by reminding the good senator that the Treasury modelling which the government stands by shows that the economy continues to grow while emissions are reduced. National income continues to grow, all states continue to experience strong economic growth and output to Australia's manufacturing, mining, agriculture and services sector continues to grow out to the midcentury. The problem for the opposition is that the facts simply do not match up with the scare campaign, and increasingly Australians are waking up to that fact.