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

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. On the question of attending the rally outside Parliament House today, I am not aware that I was invited. But, as I understand it, the Leader of the Opposition did not lack for red-headed company at that rally. He had a red-headed friend out at that rally, so I am sure he would not have missed me.

Let me turn to the substantive question that he has asked me about talking to the Australian people and campaigning for climate change action. The Leader of the Opposition seems to have forgotten that he sat in the Howard cabinet for years—a truly remarkable feat—and that he used to claim the Prime Minister as his political mentor. He sat in that cabinet day after day making decisions for the Howard government. Let me remind the Leader of the Opposition that amongst the decisions the Howard government made was their decision to go to the 2007 election arguing for an emissions trading scheme. The Labor Party also went to the 2007 election arguing for an emissions trading scheme and we went to the 2010 election arguing for an emissions trading scheme.

See this speech in context