Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I join with the Leader of the House and the member for Higgins in making a couple of points on this motion before the House that the sitting hours be extended on 11 October, because I believe this legislation does need to be thoroughly examined. In this place, as members of the House of Representatives, we are in a very privileged position. I am sure all members agree with me. We are particularly privileged at the moment because at least we get to have a vote.

The people of Australia have been denied that democratic opportunity to have a vote in relation to the carbon tax, because this Prime Minister, in a fundamental breach of trust, told the Australian people just days before the last election, 'There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead.' We can have the debate here about whether the Prime Minister is actually leading any government at all or whether it is Bob Brown, the Leader of the Greens.

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