Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, those opposite raised the participation of the member for Robertson in the rally. I just wish to alert the House that in fact the member for Robertson issued a press release prior to question time commencing today which said, in part, the following:

Even though I disagree with today’s protest, I wanted Central Coast residents who have taken the trouble to come down and express their views to know that I value their contribution to our democracy. In the debate over the implementation of a carbon price, we must not allow ourselves to be swept up in fear and misinformation campaigns.

On that point, one of the other organisations involved in protesting the government’s policies is the Coalition of Law Abiding Sporting Shooters. What do they want, as well as no carbon tax? They want to repeal former Prime Minister John Howard’s gun laws. They were there today. We also had the Lavoisier Group, a group which, as one commentator pointed out, warned that the Kyoto protocol was part of a new imperial structure that would relocate Australian sovereignty to Germany. Clearly these are not people who would support action on climate change. The decision by the Leader of the Opposition to associate himself with the placards we saw today, the messages that have been provided and the groups that have participated is unbefitting a leader of a major political party in this country—and you should disassociate yourself.

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