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

Back to our old favourite. Because the Leader of the Opposition is unable to win a debate on the facts, he is always reduced to this and it is somewhat embarrassing for him. What I can say to the Leader of the Opposition is that they are in the history of carbon pricing in this country, Prime Minister Howard in 2007 indicated to the Australian electorate that he favoured an emissions trading scheme, as did the Leader of the Opposition.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop interjecting—

The member for Mackellar is yelling out, 'And he lost the election.' The climate sceptics are alive and well on the front bench of the opposition, repudiating the political legacy of John Howard. It is quite remarkable. Prime Minister Howard stood for election wanting to have an emissions trading scheme. The Leader of the Opposition stood at his side wanting to have an emissions trading scheme. This government since its election has fought for an emissions trading scheme and now that emissions trading scheme is the law of this country. So the law of this country is stable, is strong and is working. The threat to that is the Leader of the Opposition's ridiculous plans, completely unable to be explained, to subsidise polluters and to waste money from families doing that. The Leader of the Opposition's threat to the Australian economy which all of this chaos and turmoil would cause— (Time expired)

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