Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Having listened to the voice of the Australian people when they created this parliament and understanding what this parliament means, we will work through the processes of the multiparty committee in good faith. I reiterate to the Leader of the Opposition that he has a pivotal decision about whether or not he wants to be involved in a productive process of dialogue and discussion. Yes, he would need to acknowledge climate change is real. Yes, he would need to acknowledge that putting a price on carbon is necessary to reduce emissions in the way this nation has said it wants to by 2020. At various times the Leader of the Opposition has said things like that. So I ask the Leader of the Opposition to seize this opportunity. He could, for example, appoint the member for Wentworth to serve in good faith on behalf of the opposition in this multiparty committee. I reiterate again: please consider the possibility of being a builder, not a wrecker, in this parliament. I say to the Leader of the Opposition that I do not believe that Australians elected any one of us in this place to be a wrecker of the potential for change.

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