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

To the Leader of the Opposition I say: what an extraordinary question in a week in which one of his shadow ministers has been named for gross disorder in this House. If he is interested in questions of conduct in parliament then he might address whether or not the member for Indi should be sitting on his front bench. While he is at it, he should make a series of other decisions as well.

Yesterday the clean energy legislation went through this parliament. I think it is a good thing that this parliament has decided to cut carbon pollution. That is the right thing to do. I think it is a good thing that we have decided to reach our bipartisan target of a five per cent reduction in carbon pollution in the cheapest possible way. I think it is a good thing that we have put a price on carbon so we can unleash $100 billion of new investment in clean and renewable energy. I think it is a good thing that this parliament yesterday decided to triple the tax free threshold so that secondary income earners going out to work—often women making the choice to return to work, perhaps part time after having a child—and people making a journey from welfare to work see more of the benefits of that work straightaway, that we see a million people out of the tax system, that we make it easier for them to get to work and to enjoy the fruits of their labours in their hands through their pay packets rather than being taken away by the tax system.

I think it is a good thing that we are providing extra assistance to pensioners. I remind the Leader of the Opposition that the package has been designed so that on average pensioners will come out in front. They will have more money at their disposal than they do now. I think that is a good thing to help the pensioners of Australia. I also think it is a good thing that we are providing tax cuts to people who earn less than $80,000. Many of them will see a tax cut of $300. Some of them will see a tax cut of more than that. I think it is a good thing that we are providing those tax cuts.

I understand that the Leader of the Opposition—because he has no policies that will work, because he always says no—will come into this parliament day after day and seek to continue to prosecute his fear campaign in the Australian community. But the one thing I say about the continued prosecution of that fear campaign is: Australians will ultimately be able to judge what it is worth as carbon pricing comes into effect on 1 July next year. I say to the Leader of the Opposition: whatever his words—having lived through the election promise of a rock solid ironclad guarantee and having seen that promise smashed by the Leader of the Opposition—no-one is going to believe him about taking carbon pricing away because he is not to be believed on this question.

The Leader of the Opposition will huff and puff about carbon pricing but he knows, as I know, that around half the people who sit behind him are in favour of carbon pricing. The people who sit on his front bench have been out there publicly in favour of carbon pricing. He has been out there publicly in favour of carbon pricing. Former Prime Minister Howard has been out there publicly in favour of carbon pricing. The Leader of the Opposition will find it hard to keep covering up the fact that the Liberal Party has absolutely no real intention to ever take this carbon pricing away.

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