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

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Warringah moving immediately—

That this House calls on the Prime Minister to explain to the Australian people why her Government has abandoned the manufacturing industry in this country by preparing to introduce a carbon tax. In particular, why the:

(1) Members for Corio and Corangamite aren’t standing up for the 1,300 workers at Ford in Geelong;

(2) Member for Gellibrand isn’t standing up for the 3,300 workers at Toyota in Altona;

(3) Member for Capricornia isn’t standing up for the 2,000 workers a the Newlands, German Creek and Moranbah coal mines;

(4) Members for Throsby and Cunningham aren’t standing up for the 7,000 workers at Bluescope Steel and Illawarra Coal;

(5) Member for Brand isn’t standing up for the 1,300 workers at Alcoa in Kwinana;

(6) Member for Calwell isn’t standing up for the 1,900 workers at Ford in Broadmeadows;

(7) Member for Hunter isn’t standing up for the 2,700 jobs at the Wambo, Mount Thorley, Mount Owen and Hunter Valley mines;

(8) Member for Lingiari isn’t standing up for the 850 workers at Rio Tinto/Alcoa Gove;

(9) Member for Wakefield isn’t standing up for the 2,700 workers at Holden in Elizabeth;

(10) Member for Bass isn’t standing up for the 560 workers at Alcan in Bell Bay; and

(11) Prime Minister won’t even stand up for the 466 workers in her own seat of Lalor who work at One Steel in Laverton.

What we have seen from the Prime Minister today is an extremely apprehensive performance because all of those members of parliament sitting behind the Prime Minister in question time today know that her tax is toxic. They know because their constituents are telling them that the Prime Minister's tax is toxic and, if the Prime Minister will not drop this toxic tax, those members will drop this toxic Prime Minister.

What we have heard from the Prime Minister—who, as usual, has scarpered out of this chamber rather than face a debate about her carbon tax—in this very chamber—

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