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

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Warringah moving immediately—“That this House suspend proceedings so that the Prime Minister can honestly address the concerns of everyday Australians about the impact of the carbon tax on jobs, grocery prices, the cost of fuel and our nation’s standard of living.In particular,

1.

That the Prime Minister explain how introducing another tax that rips at the heart of job security and our manufacturing sector by sending jobs and emissions overseas is good for Australia;

2.

That the Prime Minister explain how hitting ‘working families’ with another tax when rising costs of living have them struggling to make ends meet is good for Australia;

3.

That the Prime Minister explain how belting small business with another Labor tax, the 13th new or increased tax in three years is good for Australia when many of them can barely stay afloat; and

4.

That the Prime Minister explain how inflicting pensioners with another new tax when they have no savings they could make, unlike this profligate Government, is good for Australia;

“Finally, that the Prime Minister, fully explain how the carbon tax will affect everyday Australians, jobs and our economy because what can be more uncertain than a tax the Government can’t explain?

There is a surreal quality to the debate in question time today because the Prime Minister repeatedly talks about the need for a carbon price but the one thing she cannot say is what that carbon price will be. We have the minister for the environment standing up talking about a plan. The plan is a blank piece of paper except for the fact that every household in this country will be hit with a great big new carbon tax. How can this Prime Minister claim to be a real leader of our country when she cannot say what she is leading us to, when she cannot say what the content will be of her plan to price carbon? She cannot tell us the rate of the carbon tax. She cannot tell us how long the carbon tax will last. She cannot say who will pay the carbon tax. She cannot say what the compensation will be for the carbon tax. She cannot say what will replace the carbon tax. She cannot tell us anything at all about this tax. She cannot tell us a single thing about the tax. The only hard fact that can be adduced so far today in the parliament is a list of dodgy jobs that was read out by the Treasurer based on a—

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