Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

'We do not say what happens in caucus.' There is confirmation here in the House of Representatives that the member for Perth was opposed to the mining tax. Like so many other members of the Labor Party, it appears the member for Perth has been reprogrammed. My friend the Minister for Communications might know what software was used! But today the member for Perth said, 'It is complete nonsense to say that the carbon tax or, indeed, the mining tax has in fact had a negative impact on the Western Australian economy' in complete contradiction to her earlier point and in complete denial of the fact that last year, as we have heard from speakers on this side, the carbon tax cost Western Australia alone more than $600 million.

Those opposite are doing two things. They will run a scare campaign and they will do it to try to cover the fact that they are defying the will of the electorate, particularly in Western Australia, on the carbon tax and the mining tax. For those voters in Western Australia, every time they hear a Labor scare it is confirmation that Labor is ignoring them and Labor is still attached to two damaging taxes that have damaged their economy and, if Labor has their way, will continue to do so.

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