The Opposition Leader Tony Abbott should apologise for misleading the public by claiming that funeral services would be affected by the carbon price.
The Coalition's spokesperson on climate action, Greg Hunt, told the media this morning that: "The carbon tax is not just a farce but an insult. It is a tax that now follows you to your grave."
This is not the first time the Opposition has sought to frighten the public by claiming that the cost of burying or cremating their loved ones will be significantly increased by the carbon price.
The fact is that no cemeteries or crematoriums are liable for the carbon price mechanism.
Several industry representatives have rejected claims of a carbon price impact on funerals:
"We don't really see there will be a real impact on the funeral industry." (John Kaus, NSW Funeral Directors Association).
"From where I sit, I have seen no evidence to date on why funerals will increase." (James MacLeod, managing director, Tobin Brothers).
"There is no price increase due to the carbon tax. Our fees go up every year on 1 July and that's in line with CPI and they have done for 30-odd years." (Rebecca Atkins, Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust).
Playing politics with grieving families is going too far, even for the Opposition's deceitful and cynical scare campaign on carbon pricing.