Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Warringah moving immediately …

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We now have this every day at 10 to three so that the Leader of the Opposition can get on television before Play School at five past three.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I thank members on my left for their advice. Like when it is done on my right, what you have now done is save the Leader of the House from a warning. If you do not think that I can deal with things by myself and if you continue to interject for the whole 50 minutes, I will not—I will not—have no reaction to that. The Leader of the House knows that that was not a point of order. The Leader of the Opposition has the call. The House might indicate that it takes these matters seriously by sitting there quietly. The Leader of the Opposition has the call.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Mr Speaker—

Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The capacity to move for the suspension of standing orders during question time is afforded under the standing orders. The practice has been, for a very long period of time, that it is moved in exceptional or rare circumstances, not every day. To move the motion, as the Leader of the Opposition has done, every day this week at a particular time, is an abuse—

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

Order! The Minister for Defence—

Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am making a point of order, Mr Speaker.

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

No. The Minister for Defence will resume his seat. I simply say that the action is permissible under the standing orders. There may be some vague strain in precedent that indicates and supports what has been put to me, but I have not actually read it. The Leader of the Opposition has the call.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, could I suggest that the clock might start again at 10 minutes.

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

The Leader of the Opposition has the call.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Warringah moving immediately—That this House censure the Prime Minister:

(1)

and the Government for recklessly introducing a carbon tax that will damage the economy, slug everyday Australians with cost increases they can’t afford and drive manufacturing jobs offshore;

(2)

and the Government for recklessly introducing a new carbon tax without a mandate from the people;

(3)

for vacating the highest elected office in the land of handing control to Bob Brown and the Greens; and

(4)

and the Government for gross ineptitude in introducing yet another policy that hasn’t been thought through, that hasn’t been consulted, that risks jobs, that hurts everyday people and that isn’t in Australia’s national interest.

This Prime Minister is committed to a tax that she cannot explain and she will not defend. This Prime Minister and this government are committed to a tax which is explicitly designed to raise Australians’ cost of living and which is explicitly designed to drive manufacturing jobs offshore. This tax has to close down the coal industry because the coal industry is an emitter. This tax has to close down industries which are high-emissions industries. That is the whole point and purpose of the tax—only she is not closing down the coal industry overseas, she is not closing down manufacturing industry overseas; her tax is closing down the coal industry here and the manufacturing industry here. That is why it is such a bad tax and that is why this Prime Minister and this government should be censured by the House.

The very purpose of this tax is to make every single Australian’s life more expensive when he or she turns on the light or when he or she gets into a motor car. That is the whole point of this tax. What has happened here is that the Greens have kick-started this great big new tax. They hijacked the Prime Minister’s courtyard on Thursday of last week. They took over the Prime Minister’s press conference on Thursday of last week. They have commandeered the government’s climate change policy, as they have commandeered the policies on so much else. Whether it is climate change or gay marriage, the Greens are in charge and Bob Brown is the real Prime Minister of this country. Labor is in office but the Greens are in power. Julia Gillard might be in the Lodge but Bob Brown is calling the shots and he now seems to be running the government.

I know members opposite have been described by one of their own number as lobotomised zombies, but even the zombies are noticing what has gone on. Notwithstanding the lobotomy, they have worked out that the Greens are in charge because that is why we had the three wise men—

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

Order! The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. I read from page 333 of House of Representatives Practice:

A Member debating a motion to suspend standing orders may not dwell on the subject matter which is the object of the suspension.

I invite the Leader of the Opposition to debate the question as to why the suspension of standing orders should occur at this time.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I take that point. It is very important that we should suspend standing orders so that the people of Australia might understand exactly what this government is doing. The three wise men of the Labor Party have woken up to the fact that the government has been hijacked by the Greens. That is why they were in the Prime Minister’s office yesterday at 10.30 demanding that she change her position.

What have we got here? This is why it is so important to suspend standing orders. We have got yet another big new tax on top of the mining tax and on top of the flood tax. This is the third new tax that this government wants to introduce this year. We have got a government that has no mandate whatsoever. In fact, if anything, it has a mandate not to introduce a carbon tax. Now we have deliberate disruption from members opposite.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order that goes directly to relevance: the Leader of the Opposition must speak to the suspension motion, not to the substance of the motion.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will refer to the reasons requiring a suspension of standing orders and not go to the matters that are canvassed in the reason for the suspension.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is absolutely urgent that this Prime Minister come into the House and explain exactly why it is that her government has been hijacked by the Greens and exactly why it is that she has breached her pre-election commitments to the Australian people. This Prime Minister needs an honesty transplant, but she looks behind her and she cannot find a single donor on the Labor Party benches. Oh, you are volunteering, are you?

Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: how can a phrase such as ‘honesty transplant’ be relevant as to the reasons why standing orders should be suspended? If it is not a point of order, Mr Speaker, the words were offensive and should be withdrawn.

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

Order! The Minister for Defence will resume his seat.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! This should be a robust debating chamber where it is a contest of ideas and not name-calling, but from time to time things are said that are very robust. I would suggest to the House that they sit quietly and listen to all contributions to this debate—quietly. The Leader of the Opposition.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is important to have this suspension because, as the member for new England said in his local paper, ‘This is a debate worth having and it’s not all downside.’ Why are members opposite so keen to shut down this debate when even the member for New England said, ‘This is a debate worth having,’ because we should not destroy jobs and raise our cost of living in advance of—(Time expired)

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

Is the motion seconded?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion. We move this motion out of a sense of frustration that the Prime Minister will not answer questions on the most basic aspects of a new tax that she has announced. Last Thursday, the Prime Minister went with the Leader of the Greens into the Prime Minister’s courtyard, they were asked questions on the details of the new carbon tax and they refused to answer those questions. Since then, we have had new evidence, from a Roy Morgan consumer confidence survey, that consumer confidence has dropped dramatically in the past week directly following that announcement. We came into this place to ask some questions and—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order going to relevance: the shadow Treasurer must speak to the suspension and why standing orders should be—

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The member for North Sydney is aware of his responsibilities. The member for North Sydney has the call.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So, each day during question time, we have moved to suspend standing orders to bring on a debate about the carbon tax. After frustrated attempts by this government to close down proper debate; after the government has failed to explain to the Australian people how much the tax will raise, how it will be applied, what industries will be left behind, what industries will grow; after the Treasurer yesterday talked about specific job figures and then refused to acknowledge that they were calculated based on a carbon price of $45 a tonne, we are seeking to suspend standing orders so the Australian people can get some answers. The Australian people want to know exactly what this new tax is going to do to them and how they are going to pay their bills. Every time we come into this place seeking answers to simple questions, as my colleague sought a simple answer to a question about steel jobs—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order on relevance: if they want answers, they should ask questions—

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

Order! The Leader of the House will resume his seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They have shut down question time—

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and now—

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

and he is now warned! The member for North Sydney will relate his remarks to the suspension.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Because we cannot get simple, straightforward, honest answers from the government about a tax that they have announced, here in question time we have asked them question after question about the impact of their new tax, and the government refuse to answer. Instead, the sole approach of this government is to attack others—to attack the Leader of the Opposition, to attack others on this side of the House, to attack critics like Paul O’Malley from BlueScope Steel. That is their response to every question requesting information about the tax they have announced. That is why we are seeking to suspend the debate. That is why we want to bring on a proper debate about the carbon tax. If we do not get answers, we have to continue to do this, because if the government does not answer questions in the House of Representatives then there is no choice for the opposition other than to come into this place and suspend standing orders so that we can have a proper debate.

But this Prime Minister does not want to have a proper debate. If the Prime Minister wanted to be open and honest when announcing a new tax, she would have told the Australian people how much that tax would be and whom it would apply to. Instead, the Prime Minister excluded the agricultural industry but would not comment on other industries, and that has created a climate of uncertainty right across the economy. And that is in a period when that uncertainty was reflected by the Treasurer in his own answer on building approvals today—a dramatic drop in building approvals following the events in Queensland—but the response of the government is two new taxes. We on this side of the House say the Australian people want some answers. They want a Prime Minister with courage. They want a Prime Minister who is prepared to explain in detail how Australians’ cost of living is going to rise with yet another Labor tax—yet another Labor tax. Prime Minister, don’t run away from the debate; give us the answers.

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

The House is being asked to suspend standing orders to hear a debate led by the Leader of the Opposition. Well, frankly, Mr Speaker, why would we do that? The dogs are barking, but the caravan has moved on. I would say that to the bitter, shallow, hollow people on the front bench of the opposition. They are realising, day after day—and you can see it written on the faces of the Leader of the Opposition, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Treasurer; these Work Choices refugees—that they will never sit on the government front bench again. Let us go through the misrepresentations of today’s debate. This—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: I ask the Prime Minister to keep to the debate topic.

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

The member for North Sydney will resume his seat. The Prime Minister will be debating the suspension of standing and sessional orders.

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

We are asked to suspend standing orders because the opposition, in part, says that it wants to reflect views from the business community. Mr Speaker, let me just take you to today’s misrepresentations to show how the call for this debate is based on untruths, as every other claim they have made in this parliament this week has been. Let me take you to the words of the Alcoa managing director, going to the question raised with me—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister is addressing this debate from the negative. She tells us they will not agree to the suspension of standing orders and, therefore, she has to tell us why that is the case.

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

The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

This debate would be a waste of time because it would come from the party of the past and it would include more misrepresentations. Let me take you to today’s misrepresentations. In question time the member for Wannon raised a question about the aluminium jobs in his electorate. I refer him to the words of Alcoa’s Managing Director, Alan Cransberg. Alcoa is the head company of the jobs he talked about. This is the truth, not a misrepresentation that has been brought into this parliament. He said:

A carefully designed carbon price can achieve both imperatives—an effective economic response to climate change that provides incentives and improvements while preserving the international competitiveness of important Australian industries—we believe this is what parliament should seek to achieve.

Why would we have a debate to listen to more misrepresentations, given that misrepresentation in question time?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Hunt interjecting

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

The member for Flinders is warned!

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

The misrepresentations go on.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister is answering a question that she could not answer before instead of debating the motion.

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

The member for Ryan will resume her seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

The opposition would only continue the misrepresentations if we had this debate. There has been the misrepresentation in the debate so far of the position of Mr Paul O’Malley, the CEO of BlueScope Steel, who actually said on Inside Business—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

They are not interested in actual words, because it stops their fear campaign. Listen to his actual words. This is what he said:

In relation to energy, there is absolutely an argument that says there needs to be a carbon price so we can have natural gas base load generation in Australia … So I think a carbon tax around energy is a really good thing to do at the moment and will have a big effect in reducing carbon.

The party of misrepresentation are asking for a debate so they can continue their misrepresentations.

We should learn from these two misrepresentations that the Liberal Party is incapable of telling the truth on climate change, is incapable of telling the truth on carbon pricing and is incapable of doing anything under its current leadership—the embittered, leftover leadership of the Leader of the Opposition, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Treasurer. They are the embittered leadership, the sour people, who cannot accept the result of the last election and the fact that we are in government. The only thing they have left—they have not got any ideas, because they get their ideas from One Nation emails; they have no other source of ideas except what One Nation sends to them—is a fear campaign. They are in a shambles. Mr Speaker, look at the shambles that they are in. They are trying to get a backbencher to take a point of order. Here we have the fear campaign.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I put it to you that during the contributions of both the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Treasurer you routinely brought them back to the suspension of standing orders. I put it to you that the Prime Minister is speaking not even closely to the suspension of standing orders.

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

The same rules apply to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will relate her remarks to the suspension of the standing and sessional orders. If people listen, they might understand how that is being achieved.

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

This suspension should not be carried because the participants in this debate from the Liberal Party have nothing to say. They just have a fear campaign, and their fear campaign is not based on fact. Today’s fear campaign was condemned out of the mouths of the businesspeople they were trying to rely on.

Let us go across the fear campaigns of this week. They misrepresented the position of BlueScope Steel today. They misrepresented the position of the aluminium industry today. Yesterday they said that the government should be condemned because it had not given out enough information. The day before they were trying to persuade people that they would pay $1,500 extra for electricity and 6.5c extra for petrol. Every day these people will make something up to continue their fear campaign. Every day they come into this parliament and misquote others. Every day they intend to mislead the Australian people.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Pyne interjecting

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

The member for Sturt should be very careful.

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

I say to the opposition: the Australian people are far better than you are. They are confident people who are rejecting your race baiting. They are confident people who are rejecting you playing the politics of grief. They are confident people who are rejecting your One Nation policy agenda.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will refer her remarks through the chair and she will be relevant to the suspension of the standing orders.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister accused members on this side of the House of a deeply offensive and untrue political tactic, and she should withdraw.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

I did not honestly hear exactly what the Prime Minister said. I did invite her to return to the debate. I think that, on the basis of the hubbub in the chamber, I will leave it at that, because I am not fully aware of what was said.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I would prefer not to sully the chamber by repeating it, but she accused—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! The House will come to order.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For your benefit, Mr Speaker, it was a low and contemptible charge—that of race baiting—and she must withdraw it.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! The House is not assisting at all.

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

If it assists the House, I withdraw it. The opposition should reject the political tactics of Cory Bernardi, they should reject the politics that their shadow minister wanted to play with grief, they should reject the One Nation emails that lead their economic policy—

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order!

Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are out of your depth—you’ve lost it!

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

Order! I hardly think the member for Berowra is in a position to control the chamber by interjection.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on the point of order: she has compounded the offence. She should withdraw the charge of race baiting, and she should apologise for making it in the first place.

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

Order! There is no point of order. The original expression was withdrawn and, really, I think that the remarks then made after the withdrawal are in the nature of the robustness of debate. I have concluded this incident in my own mind. There are other actions people may like to take but I am not taking any further points of order.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! The time allotted for the debate has expired.

Question put:

That the motion (Mr Abbott’s) be agreed to.

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

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.