Craig Thomson (Dobell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

That is not a bad deal. That is not a bad situation to be in. You only make 13 per cent less in emissions but you get a 50 per cent discount. Those opposite say that their opposition to this in some way means their green credentials are better, when we know that they do not believe in climate change. They do not have any rational position in relation to making sure that carbon is dealt with properly. They instead want to tax ordinary Australians, costing billions of dollars, and pay the polluters.

The Garnaut report the other day really did bell the cat in terms of the difference between the government's position on climate change and the opposition's. It was clear from the Garnaut report that the proposal from this side of the House is for a low-cost, sensible way of dealing with climate change—one that compensates households, as opposed to the one from the other side that attacks households and compensates big business and polluters. If anyone on that side says that their negativity in relation to these bills is about their green credentials, it just does not stack up against anything else that comes from the opposition. Instead, what we are faced with from those on the other side is a policy vacuum. They have taken the position they have on this bill because it is their standard line. Their standard line is: 'We oppose anything that the government puts up, even if it's our own. We're going to oppose it anyway.' We have this absolutely unbelievable position.

I had the pleasure of chairing the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics inquiry that looked into, investigated and reported on these bills. We received a large degree of evidence on the effects that the bills would have and the way they should be dealt with. In some senses, I am in an ideal position to make some comments about this. I know I will have to save those comments for another time.

Debate interrupted.

See this speech in context