Brett Raguse (Forde, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Would the Prime Minister outline any obstacles to Australia playing its part in the global solution to climate change and the importance of honest leadership?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. The country at present is wrestling with many global challenges. The global economic recession is one of them. Here at home we are seeking to build the education revolution to make sure that our young people have the best chances for tomorrow. We are investing in our health and hospital system to make sure that we can build a better healthcare system against global standards. We are ensuring that we are acting to close the gap with Indigenous Australians. And we are also wrestling with the huge challenge of climate change, a challenge which I think all fair-minded Australians would agree was entirely ignored by those opposite in the 12 years in which they were in office. Those opposite refused even step 1, which was to ratify the Kyoto Protocol—the entry point in dealing with this matter internationally, and they could not bring themselves to the post.

The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme legislation is important, not only in terms of Australia playing its part in bringing down greenhouse gas emissions, but also for business certainty and the economy. That is why you have statements from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Climate Institute, Pacific Hydro, the Ai Group, the Business Council of Australia, BP Australasia’s president, as well as Shell’s chairman all talking about the need for one core thing on climate change and the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme—that is, certainty for the business environment. Calls for example that said, ‘We call on the Australian parliament to ensure passage of both the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and RET this year to make sure it happens, to ensure also that we have certainty for business.’

That is why the government have worked hard to have this legislation prepared for the parliament. That is why we have introduced legislation and why we are expecting this legislation to be dealt with in the Senate. But I am advised today that what has happened in the Senate is that the opposition have reordered government business in the Senate to push the CPRS back. They have such strength of leadership that they have now resolved to vote not to vote. It goes to the absolute shambles that the opposition now find themselves in. There is an absence of leadership on something as basic as alcopops: they cannot even present themselves to vote and they are disunited on that as well. There is an absolute lack of unity on the question of climate change and the CPRS and the RET. They cannot unite themselves even to bring on a vote for the simple reason that they fear they will split right down the middle. There is an absence of leadership also in the handling of the matter which is before the parliament now. That matter before the parliament now goes to this email scandal.

We have had I believe a debate in this place in recent days about honesty in public life. This is an important debate. It goes to the integrity of leadership. It is one which the entire parliament should be seized with and engaged in. It is basic to all of our engagements in public life. Mr Speaker, I would have thought—

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Mr Speaker, plainly until now the Prime Minister’s answer has been relevant, but we all know what he is about to say and he should not be allowed to.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So far it is relating to the last phrase in the question.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, it might be challenging to some of those opposite, but the question actually went to the importance of honesty in national political life and national leadership. I would draw the acting manager of opposition business’s attention to the actual text of the question. In terms of the honesty which is at stake in this debate on this fake email affair, I draw the House’s attention to some of the things which have been said in pursuit of honesty in this House today by the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition today has said he has never accused—he said it in public today, he may have said it in the House as well—myself or the Treasurer of corruption. Mr Speaker, let me read to you what he said in his press conference on 19 June. He said:

The Prime Minister and the Treasurer have used their offices and taxpayers’ resources to seek advantage for one of their mates and then lied about it to the Parliament.

Mr Speaker, what form of language and interpretation can be used in relation to a statement like that, other than to say that it is an accusation of corruption. Any fair-minded person would reach that conclusion.

Can I also say that on the question of the handling of this matter since the events of yesterday, again on the question of honesty, those opposite sought in recent times to say that Senator Abetz in the Senate only raised the question of the contents of this fake email after it appeared in the Daily Telegraph. Yesterday those opposite could not even get their stories straight. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition—who intently avoids my gaze—say that in fact the only reason Senator Abetz raised this—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, what a tangled web they weave. Both the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Opposition said yesterday that Senator Abetz raised this matter in the Senate because it was in the Daily Telegraph. They made those statements about Senator Abetz’s testimony to the Senate, or his presentation to the Senate on Friday. These matters did not appear in the Telegraph until Saturday. On the question of honesty in public life, I would suggest that those opposite might reflect on that as well.

Then, of course, we had this extraordinary concoction in the papers yesterday, with the Leader of the Opposition again using his journalist of choice from the Australian, Mr Milne, to reflect and to provide a briefing concerning the accuracy of the recorded conversation involving Dr Charlton. The core of it is this: the Leader of the Opposition in that briefing said as follows: he did not approach Dr Charlton; Dr Charlton approached him. Yet we had Malcolm Farr in the Daily Telegraph providing a simultaneous account of what occurred before adding, ‘The Leader of the Opposition was seeking out Dr Charlton and approached him.’ Again, what a tangled web those opposite weave on the question of honesty.

Can I say also that the most extraordinary thing that I have seen so far in this debate is the accusation today that this entire false, fake, forged email affair is somehow the fault of the government. The silence on the part of those opposite sitting behind the Leader of the Opposition says it all—the stunned silence of his backbench. For this Leader of the Opposition to have mounted a campaign against my integrity and that of the Treasurer over recent times on the basis of a forged, fake, false email and then, when it is found out, to turn around and say that he has no responsibility for this but that it is the fault and responsibility of the government says how detached from reality he has become.

I say to the honourable member for Bradfield and, in his absence, the member for Higgins—the senior statesmen of the Liberal Party: tap this man on the shoulder. He must resign. Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Minister for Health and Ageing has the call! Regrettably, I am unable to pre-empt the matter that the Minister for Health and Ageing wishes to place on record on indulgence, but I think that the chamber might like to listen quietly.