Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (14:00): I am advised by the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport that Rex is in fact expanding its operations and number of flights. Once again we have the Leader of the Opposition in this place seeking— Opposition members: Wrong airline! The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms AE Burke ): Order! Ms GILLARD: If I can finish my sentence, Madam Deputy Speaker, once again we have got the opposition in this place trying to mislead about the impact of carbon pricing. They are trying to create a fear in the Australian community about the impact of carbon pricing on regional airlines. As I have just indicated, the minister for transport has advised me that Rex is expanding. On the impact on Brindabella and on air travel generally, as we have canvassed— The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Riverina, the Prime Minister has the call and will be heard in silence. Ms GILLARD: On regional airlines, Brindabella—the question that the Leader of the Opposition asked—we have in the past canvassed in this parliament the modest impact of carbon pricing on air travel. We have also in this parliament discussed how this impact— Mr Abbott: Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Brindabella's chief operating officer says the carbon tax was the 'final nail in the coffin'— The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call. Ms GILLARD: No. 1, I remind the Leader of the Opposition that carbon pricing does not start till 1 July. No. 2, I remind the Leader of the Opposition that the impact on air travel is in the order of a few dollars per flight. No. 3, I remind the Leader of the Opposition that that impact has been modelled into the assistance that families and households are receiving. I remind the Leader of the Opposition that 3.2 million pensioners are, as we speak, receiving the first round of additional assistance in their bank accounts, which will be followed up next March and be ongoing; that 1.5 million families around the country are receiving assistance into their bank accounts as well. I remind the Leader of the Opposition that he is a man who has made many false claims about carbon pricing, all of which will be shown to be untrue on 1 July. He said prices rises will be unimaginable; he will be shown to be wrong. He said power bills will jump by 30 per cent; he will be shown to be wrong. He said the coal industry will shut down; he will be shown to be wrong. He said entire towns like Whyalla will be wiped off the map. So, when the sun sets on 1 July and none of those things has come to pass, then this destructive negativity from the Leader of the Opposition will be revealed to the Australian people for what it has always been—him trying to run a political fear campaign and prepared to engage in any level of distortion to do so.