John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Let me start by saying that I totally reject all of the charges contained in the censure motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition. Having just had an opportunity to read it for the first time, it is about accountability; it is about the government being accountable to this parliament for the expenditure of money. Let me say in immediate answer to that that in Budget Paper No. 2 there is contained on page 147 an entry saying, ‘Climate change—small business and household action initiative’ which speaks of the provision of $52.8 million over five years ‘to increase community understanding of climate change and assist households and small businesses to reduce and offset their greenhouse gas emissions’. So I say immediately to the Leader of the Opposition: don’t you come in here with your humbug and hubris and start accusing me of having breached parliamentary—

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