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

It is necessary to suspend standing orders, Mr Speaker, because nothing is more important on this anniversary, on this day which the foreign minister himself has dubbed 'Assassination Day', than the discussion in this chamber of these important issues.

This is a Prime Minister who, having been dishonest with her predecessor, was then utterly dishonest with the Australian people at the last election. She said that there would be a people's convention on climate change. There is not. She said that there would be no carbon price until there was a deep and lasting consensus. There is not. She said, notoriously, 'There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead'. Having made that solemn commitment to the Australian people, what have we got? We have got a carbon tax.

This has been the most incompetent, the most deceptive, the most dishonest government in modern Australian history. I tell you what: some people say Gough Whitlam was bad and he was incompetent, but at least he never sold his soul to the Greens. He never deceived the Australian people the way this Prime Minister has. This Prime Minister will not even come into the chamber to face a censure motion. What is wrong with this Prime Minister that she will not come in and face the music in this parliament? What does this Prime Minister stand for? She does not stand for telling the truth. She does not stand for standing up for Australia's national interest. And she does not even stand for honesty in the face of the parliament. Shame on this Prime Minister. She should be censured. (Time expired)

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