Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I am sorry, Mr Deputy Speaker, I do apologise. I was trying to touch the member for Hunter's deeper and finer feelings. I know that, deep down, he wants to protect the jobs of his members and I am putting to him that the only way to protect the jobs of his members is to sacrifice the job of this Prime Minister.

But it does not stop there. I have already spoken about BlueScope Steel and the more than 5,000 jobs at Port Kembla. What has the member for Throsby done to stand up for the workers of BlueScope Steel? What has the member for Cunningham done to stand up for the workers of BlueScope Steel? What have those Illawarra members done to stand up for the 2,000 jobs at Illawarra Coal? One thing we know is that the carbon tax is a dagger aimed at the heart of the coal industry, even under the government's own modelling. By 2020, there will be a 35 per cent reduction in coal production and 13 per cent in coal investment, so what are all of those members opposite who represent coal seats going to do to stand up for that industry?

We have 2,700 jobs at Holden at Elizabeth in South Australia. What is the member for Wakefield doing to stand up for those jobs? We have 851 jobs at Alcoa in Gove, in the Northern Territory. What is the member for Lingiari doing to stand up for those jobs? We have 560 jobs at Alcan at Bell Bay. What is the member for Bass doing to stand up for those jobs?

There is one party in this House today that is determined to protect as far as it reasonably can the jobs of the manufacturing workers of this country, and it is the Liberal-National party. The people who are being completely betrayed by members opposite are the manufacturing workers of this country. I am happy to defend, day in, day out, the right of our power stations, our steel industry and our aluminium industry to continue to exist in this country, because, unlike members opposite, I understand that those industries are vital to a First World economy, and I want Australia to continue to be a First World economy. I want Australia to continue to be a country where people make things.

That is what it comes down to in the end: are we going to be a country which manufactures things or are we going to be a country which says goodbye to all of that in the name of misguided green zealotry? Does anyone think for a second—

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