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

As I was saying, yes, the members do represent the interests of Ford and its workforce in this place. They represented it during the days of Work Choices when of course the Leader of the Opposition was out there defending pay cuts and out there defending people getting sacked unfairly, getting sacked for no reason at all. In those days the members for Corangamite and Corio were representing their community and fighting to get rid of Work Choices as the Leader of the Opposition fought to keep it. Of course, in this period of government, the members for Corangamite and Corio have raised with me a series of issues about Ford, including issues involving skills development at Ford. They have raised with me issues about manufacturing and the pressures from the strong Australian dollar. They have of course raised with me issues about climate change. And, for example, the Climate Commission has gone to Geelong. My recollection is that its first public meeting was in Geelong. The Climate Commission is out there talking to people about how we can address climate change. Of course the local members have been involved in all of these processes.

What I can say to the Leader of the Opposition is that those local members are doing what positive local members with a vision for the country do—that is, as we go about big policy changes like pricing carbon, they represent the interests of their constituents in those changes, the interests of their constituents in making sure we do the right thing to protect the environment, the interests of their constituents in making sure we cut carbon pollution and the interests of their constituents in making sure we act to protect Australian jobs, including jobs in manufacturing cars, as we make the transition to a clean energy future. But you can only properly represent your constituents if you come into this place with an idea and you pursue it. You can never represent the issues of your constituents or the nation properly if all you think leadership is is saying no.

See this speech in context