Will your grocery bill increase after the election?

LNP says price of dinner staples will rise under Labor with a new carbon tax, but the opposition says their climate change policies won't hurt family budgets

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Capricornia MP Michelle Landry meet with locals at Stockland Rockhampton. Photo Michelle Gately / Morning Bulletin. Picture: Michelle Gately

SAUSAGES, beef mince and lamb chops.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce warned these grocery-list staples could rise in price if Labor re-introduced a carbon tax during a visit to Rockhampton this morning. 

Cost of living became the centre of the debate, with both Mr Joyce and Capricornia MP Michelle Landry linking a carbon tax to low-income families and their ability to affording basic necessities.

Their comments came despite the Labor Party refuting claims a Shorten government would re-introduce the tax.

During his fourth visit of the campaign, Mr Joyce visited iconic Beef Capital business Peter Boodle Quality Meats.

Butcher Peter Boodle spoke to Mr Joyce about how the carbon tax had impacted his business.

Mr Boodle said prior to the tax, re-gassing of one of the business' large cold rooms would cost about $200.

"That went up significantly to about $2000," he said.

 "When the carbon tax came in we saw a decrease in customers from the mining sector … we certainly lost trade over it."

However, Mr Boodle admitted the loss of trade could also be linked to increased unemployment during the mining downturn.

Mr Joyce said a carbon tax would increase household bills like electricity, giving people less to spend when it came to their grocery lists.

Rockhampton Butcher Peter Broodle, LNP candidate for Capricornia Michelle Landry and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. Picture: Contributed

"What's really important is the staples of people's lives, things like mince, things such as sausages," he said.

"These are the things that absolutely reflect your standard of living and whether you're able to effectively afford it.

"One of the big things that determines what you can buy is what you've got in your wallet.

"When you're paying more for electricity, as you would if they re-introduce the carbon tax, you have less to spend and you're forced to a lower standard of living."

Ms Landry said the re-introduction of a carbon tax would be "a travesty for the people of Rockhampton".

"This will have a significant impact, particularly on poorer people in the community," she said.

"A lot of them survive on mince and sausages and things like that, so if the carbon tax comes in and the price of gas skyrockets once again this will be added on to the price of meat and affect those poor families right in the hip pocket."

Labor candidate for Capricornia Leisa Neaton said she didn't believe the party's climate change policies would impact family budgets and refuted the Coalition's claim a carbon tax would be re-introduced.

"Bill Shorten has said repeatedly and publicly that we've got no intention of introducing a carbon tax," she said.

"Our climate change action plan provides a pathway to a low pollution economy while having a minimal impact on households and industry.

"We do believe in climate change and we do have a climate change action plan on the web for everyone to see.

"A future that includes renewable energy will generate jobs." 

Originally published as Will your grocery bill increase after the election?