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

I have great pleasure in joining in this discussion on the matter of great public importance—that is, the impact of the carbon tax on small business. I thought I would restate what the matter of public importance was just for the interest of those opposite, because the previous speaker hardly mentioned small business in his address. Really, I am not surprised at all by his reluctance to mention it, because we have the Prime Minister, who the gentleman opposite supports, and just after the Prime Minister's treacherous disposal of the member for Griffith she fronted the Australian public and said, 'There will be some days that I delight you and some days that I may disappoint you.'

I actually have a tremendous view of the backbench from where I sit and I do not see a lot of smiling faces. I have to report that I do not see a lot of love for the Prime Minister. In fact, all I see every day is disappointment. There are some days—and this might alarm the frontbench—when the noddies forget how to nod. They sit there very stony faced. They get out of sync. They think, 'Should I have the concerned look now or should I have the knowing smile or will I use the discerning raise of the eyebrow or should I just give the enthusiastic nod?'

For the Prime Minister, today was clearly a day of absolute delight. Earlier today we had members opposite clapping, cheering and backslapping each other as the carbon tax legislation was passed, but I can assure the House that no-one in small business throughout Australia was joining in the orgy of self-congratulation we saw among those opposite today. The excitement was everywhere. I almost expected the member for Charlton to lead a conga line around the House, with the Independents and the Greens hanging off the end, a bit like dags at the end of a sheep.

Spare a thought for the poor member for Griffith. He was at the very back of the chamber and he did not know what to do. Should he head for the nearest exit or should he come down and join in the festivities? To his credit, the member for Griffith came down, summoned up his courage and puckered up for a prime ministerial kiss.

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