The subject of refrigerant gases has never been at the top of the political agenda but last month it caught the attention of Australia’s two main political parties as they debated the introduction of carbon pricing on July 1, 2012.
With both sides of the parliamentary divide jockeying for cheap political points, refrigerant gases were unexpectedly thrust under the spotlight.
The levy on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) was at the centre of debate on a wide range of issues from the price of fruit and vegetables to the cost of fixing a broken fridge and the hardships of being a truckie on the road.
First up was Opposition Leader Tony Abbott warning that the carbon price on certain refrigerant gases will hit transport costs and make staples like fruit and vegetables significantly more expensive.
“The cost of refrigerant alone is going to triple; it’s not a small increase,” he said. “It’s going to hit the price of milk; it’s going to hit the price of fruit and vegetables. These are things which need to be kept cool.”
During a visit to the Sydney markets, Abbott pointed out that the venue has 200,000 cubic metres of cool rooms.
“There are 500 trucks that come into these markets every day; the carbon tax will hit them every time the fridges go on,” he said.
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet was quick to reject the claims, pointing to Treasury modelling showing fruit and vegetable prices increasing by only 0.4 per cent.
National party leader Warren Truss told Parliament the cost of servicing a domestic refrigerator would go up by $300 a year after July 1, 2012.
Combet rejected the claim. “To spend that much, Truss would have to call technicians to his house every five days over a whole year to replace the entire refrigerant gas used in his fridge on each visit,” he said.
As the amount of these gases in a household refrigerator is very small, Combet said the cost impact will not be “astronomical”.
“Rather, the price of a domestic refrigerator will increase by around $4,” he said.