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

At the last election campaign I spoke to the Australian people about needing to put a price on carbon. I spoke to them about an emissions trading scheme. I actually spoke to them about the same things that John Howard had spoken to the Australian people about in the 2007 election. Yes, of course I am well aware of what I said during the election campaign, and when I said the words that the Leader of the Opposition has referred to in this place and beyond I meant every word of it.

Then, following the election campaign, as Prime Minister, I faced up to an important choice for the Australian people. This is the parliament the Australian people voted for, and I had an opportunity in this parliament to ensure that we put a price on carbon, that we seized the clean energy future and we cut carbon pollution. When I made the decision to put that price on carbon—

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