Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, there are more—none other than the Deputy Prime Minister. When asked this question about the carbon tax, what did he say? He said that this was just ‘an hysterical allegation’ and that it certainly was not true. I am sorry, Mr Deputy Prime Minister, it is absolutely true. This Deputy Prime Minister, like his leader, is guilty of misleading the Australian people—and I am inclined to say he knowingly misled the Australian people. He said one thing before the election and he is now doing quite the opposite after the election. It is simply dishonest and the Australian people ought to know that this government is based on a lie.

This is not just a mere academic question, because whether there is a carbon tax will have a direct bearing on the standard of living of the Australian people. We know that the Australian people are under cost of living pressures. We know that this government have not delivered the kind of prosperity the Australian people had come to expect from the previous coalition government. We know that and we want to protect the Australian people from any further unnecessary hits on their standard of living.

We know that since November 2007 the price of electricity has risen by 35 per cent. That is a 35 per cent hit on the cost of just about everything people do in their households. We know that a $40 a tonne carbon price would double the wholesale price of electricity. That would mean higher costs for pensioners, higher costs for small business and higher costs for families. That is precisely what this government are attempting to do. They deceived the Australian people before the election and they have comprehensively broken a pre-election commitment, and that will run a dagger through the standard of living of many Australian families. It is simply, absolutely and utterly unacceptable.

This government are busily trying to lower expectations. I understand that. I understand that this government are trying to say to the Australian people: ‘Don’t expect us to do anything. We don’t really have much of an agenda. We don’t think we can win votes in the parliament other than on a good day.’ The public will not fall for this. It does not matter what the situation in the parliament is, the Australian public expects the government to govern. The Australian public expects the government to keep to its commitments. If this government could not keep to its commitments, the Prime Minister should not have accepted the Governor-General’s commission. I say to the government on behalf of the Australian people: stop making excuses and start governing, and you can start by keeping your commitments.

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