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 censure the Prime Minister:

(1)

and the Government for recklessly introducing a carbon tax that will damage the economy, slug everyday Australians with cost increases they can’t afford and drive manufacturing jobs offshore;

(2)

and the Government for recklessly introducing a new carbon tax without a mandate from the people;

(3)

for vacating the highest elected office in the land of handing control to Bob Brown and the Greens; and

(4)

and the Government for gross ineptitude in introducing yet another policy that hasn’t been thought through, that hasn’t been consulted, that risks jobs, that hurts everyday people and that isn’t in Australia’s national interest.

This Prime Minister is committed to a tax that she cannot explain and she will not defend. This Prime Minister and this government are committed to a tax which is explicitly designed to raise Australians’ cost of living and which is explicitly designed to drive manufacturing jobs offshore. This tax has to close down the coal industry because the coal industry is an emitter. This tax has to close down industries which are high-emissions industries. That is the whole point and purpose of the tax—only she is not closing down the coal industry overseas, she is not closing down manufacturing industry overseas; her tax is closing down the coal industry here and the manufacturing industry here. That is why it is such a bad tax and that is why this Prime Minister and this government should be censured by the House.

The very purpose of this tax is to make every single Australian’s life more expensive when he or she turns on the light or when he or she gets into a motor car. That is the whole point of this tax. What has happened here is that the Greens have kick-started this great big new tax. They hijacked the Prime Minister’s courtyard on Thursday of last week. They took over the Prime Minister’s press conference on Thursday of last week. They have commandeered the government’s climate change policy, as they have commandeered the policies on so much else. Whether it is climate change or gay marriage, the Greens are in charge and Bob Brown is the real Prime Minister of this country. Labor is in office but the Greens are in power. Julia Gillard might be in the Lodge but Bob Brown is calling the shots and he now seems to be running the government.

I know members opposite have been described by one of their own number as lobotomised zombies, but even the zombies are noticing what has gone on. Notwithstanding the lobotomy, they have worked out that the Greens are in charge because that is why we had the three wise men—

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