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

As I said to the member for Bradfield, we are going to act on climate change and we are going to do it with full understanding about circumstances around the world. Yes, I am aware of the change that the member for Bradfield refers to. The governor is a Republican. He is from a sister political party, which would only make me conclude that when the sister political parties get together from across the world—Prime Minister David Cameron, standing for 50 per cent reductions in emissions by 2027; Arnold Schwarzenegger, now in the news for a few other matters, as the Governor of California, having stood for reducing carbon pollution; the Prime Minister of New Zealand, a conservative standing for an emissions trading scheme—it is going to be a pretty interesting discussion, isn't it? But the important thing that should come out of that discussion is that conservatives like David Cameron have had the foresight to say to their people, 'Climate change is real.'

I believe that; David Cameron believes that; the Leader of the Opposition does not. We need to get on by cutting carbon pollution. I believe that; the Leader of the Opposition does not. The most efficient way of cutting carbon pollution is to put a price on it. I believe that; the Leader of the Opposition does not. As we transition to a cleaner energy future, I believe in assisting Australian households; the Leader of the Opposition does not. He believes in putting additional taxes on their shoulders so that he can take that money and pay it to the big polluters as a subsidy. I am very happy to keep arguing for a positive path to address climate change.

See this speech in context