Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Well, if it is making that money for the government, why aren't you investing your own money in it? If you think this is so good, how much of your own money are you putting in it? Why are you prepared to put taxpayers' money at risk when you won't put your own money in it? That is the ultimate question. That is the ultimate question, because they know as well that this scheme will waste and lose taxpayers' money. That is the reason they wouldn't put one cent of their own in it. They want the Australian taxpayer to wear a risk that they are not prepared to take.

We have seen an example of why the taxpayer is not needed with Mr Flannery's Climate Commission, which this government also abolished to the great howls and cries of members of the opposition. But what then happened? They then went and said: 'Look, this is terrible. This evil government has closed us down.' They were then able to receive donations from the public. So we in government today are able to receive the benefit of the wise, insightful opinions of Mr Flannery and listen to his predictions without it costing the taxpayer one cent, because it is funded privately!

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