Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

Consistency is not their strong point. The performance of the Leader of the Opposition today has shown yet again why he is simply unfit for high office. The performance of the Leader of the National Party has shown why he is unfit to be in this place at all. It was an extraordinary performance. We went back to reds under the beds. We were likened to Libya, to tyranny, and yet what we have had through this process is the most democratic process that has been conducted for a serious piece of legislation since I came to this place.

This is a historic day after two decades of debate, 35 parliamentary inquiries, the Shergold report, the Garnaut review, the joint parliamentary committee and the 2007 election with both political parties going to that election asking for an emissions trading scheme. Today we stopped talking and started acting. Today we move forward to a clean energy future. They say that it was undemocratic just like the other 217 bills that have been passed by this chamber compared with the 108 that were carried under the Howard government. This morning alone, prior to question time, we carried 22 bills—one-fifth or 20 per cent of the workload of the Howard government in its first year. This is a government that is getting on with governing. This is a parliament that is functioning and is functioning well.

Mr John Cobb interjecting—

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