Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Hansard source

and with his two-week tour of doom and gloom that we have heard about upcoming, it is worthwhile just reflecting upon some of the deceitful statements that the Leader of the Opposition has made. Let's start with the contention that carbon dioxide has no weight at all. We are trying to encourage students into maths and science. What sort of leadership is that type of silliness? A year ago he forecast that, from Sunday, 45,000 jobs would be lost in energy intensive industries and another 126,000 jobs lost mainly in regional Australia. They are all gone from Sunday—nearly 200,000 jobs gone from Sunday, forecast by the prophet of doom. The facts, of course, are pretty different. The economy is in good position. It is growing well. Jobs are forecast to grow by 1.6 million through to 2020. Jobs will grow under carbon pricing.

Another one of his claims is:

I've never been in favour of a carbon tax or an emissions trading scheme.

But, in fact, on the record, on camera, he has supported both on different occasions. Try this old favourite. He said that the price increases from carbon pricing will be 'unimaginable'. It might betray a lack of imagination, but really it is just completely deceitful, because we know, of course, that the price impacts will be very modest. According to reports just yesterday, both Coles and Woolworths, from which most Australians buy their produce, have ruled out price increases on 1 July and have said that energy savings will allow them to absorb the costs. It is not any wonder that the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow minister for small business are now trying to incite price rises, because their position is so fraudulent and so deceitful. They should be ashamed and they will be exposed.

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