Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Because we cannot get simple, straightforward, honest answers from the government about a tax that they have announced, here in question time we have asked them question after question about the impact of their new tax, and the government refuse to answer. Instead, the sole approach of this government is to attack others—to attack the Leader of the Opposition, to attack others on this side of the House, to attack critics like Paul O’Malley from BlueScope Steel. That is their response to every question requesting information about the tax they have announced. That is why we are seeking to suspend the debate. That is why we want to bring on a proper debate about the carbon tax. If we do not get answers, we have to continue to do this, because if the government does not answer questions in the House of Representatives then there is no choice for the opposition other than to come into this place and suspend standing orders so that we can have a proper debate.

But this Prime Minister does not want to have a proper debate. If the Prime Minister wanted to be open and honest when announcing a new tax, she would have told the Australian people how much that tax would be and whom it would apply to. Instead, the Prime Minister excluded the agricultural industry but would not comment on other industries, and that has created a climate of uncertainty right across the economy. And that is in a period when that uncertainty was reflected by the Treasurer in his own answer on building approvals today—a dramatic drop in building approvals following the events in Queensland—but the response of the government is two new taxes. We on this side of the House say the Australian people want some answers. They want a Prime Minister with courage. They want a Prime Minister who is prepared to explain in detail how Australians’ cost of living is going to rise with yet another Labor tax—yet another Labor tax. Prime Minister, don’t run away from the debate; give us the answers.

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