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

The opposition is obviously in a state of movement about what it thinks about carbon pricing. But against that let me say to the member: the same Treasury people—the people of the same professionalism who advised the Howard government that an emissions trading scheme was the best way and least-cost way of reducing carbon pollution—have advised this government of that fact. It is a fact that carbon pricing is the best way and least-cost way of reducing carbon pollution. John Howard knew that. The Leader of the Opposition knew that when he was on the government benches. The Leader of the Opposition has said that even when he has been opposition leader, and people around the world know it.

To the member's question: because the rest of the world is addressing carbon pollution, we as a nation must act too, we are acting and, as we act, we act in the least-cost way. That is the responsible thing to do. Why would you want our nation to pay more than it needs to pay to reduce carbon pollution? Prime Minister John Howard did not want to do that; he wanted the least-cost approach. We have taken the least-cost approach.

The problem for the member is he is handcuffed to a policy of subsidising polluters which increases the costs to our nation of addressing carbon pollution. What he is really asking is that every family and every business in his community says yes to the nation paying more than it needs to pay to reduce carbon pollution. It is an absurdity, a policy absurdity—a mendacious claim that has led to a policy absurdity. We on this side of the parliament stand for the stability and certainty which come from pursuing carbon pricing as legislated into Australian law, because it is working. (Time expired)

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