Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

We are dealing with a reality now in the Senate where the leader of the Liberal Party opposition in the Senate says as follows in response to a question yesterday, 17 November, from David Speers:

David Speers: Isn’t this a problem for the government? Even if they meet all your demands there is no certainty that you will vote for it?

This is yesterday.

Senator Minchin: No, that’s correct. We said that at the outset. That’s the risk the government took in bringing in this legislation.

In other words, as of yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, which is where these matters are now being deliberated, says that even if we negotiate an outcome with the Leader of the Opposition and with their negotiator, the member for Groom, Senator Minchin may not cop this. Can I say to those opposite: we want to continue these good-faith negotiations with the Liberal Party and the National Party, but what we would actually like is for the Leader of the Opposition to assure us that these negotiations have substance. We have said that we are prepared to deal on agriculture. Can I say to the Leader of the Opposition: it is important that he provides an assurance to the parliament of the nation today that they will not block a vote on this in the Senate, that these are good-faith negotiations and that they will be brought to a conclusion, because the nation is demanding action on climate change, not further delay.

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