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

That contribution reminds me of the Sunday that I sat with the Council of Australian Governments, with the leaders of the nation, and struck a new national health deal—and before I walked out of that room to announce it the Leader of the Opposition did a press conference to try and trash it. What he is doing now shows that either the Leader of the Opposition has paid no attention to this debate because he has been so keen to run his fear campaign, or his question now is once again intended to try and mislead the Australian people.

As the Leader of the Opposition well knows, what the government has announced is a carbon pricing mechanism. The government made it clear on the day of the announcement that we would be announcing the carbon price and the household and industry assistance, and then we would bring legislation to this parliament. And when we bring legislation to this parliament that is when it gets interesting, because, as the member for Wentworth reminded the world on BBC—he has gone global, Mr Speaker—his policy position of pricing carbon is supported by half the Liberal Party minus one. So on the day that the legislation comes into the parliament it will be very interesting to see how the Liberal Party responds, because I believe that there are Liberal Party members over there who are sick of the race baiting, there are Liberal Party members over there who are sick of seeing politics played with grief—

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