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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Housing Industry Association estimates that there are 240 tonnes of carbon dioxide generated building an average house and related infrastructure and, at the rate of $26 a tonne, this would add at least $6,240 to the cost of an average home. So I ask the Prime Minister: how does she propose to compensate first home buyers in Western Sydney, for instance, for this $6,000-plus increase in the cost of housing?

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

Predictably, the scare campaign continues with the made-up facts and figures, and the Leader of the Opposition does what he always does, which is to seek to cause fear amongst the Australian community, because he has no policies or plans for the nation’s future and he tries to hide that behind a never-ending series of fear campaigns.

Mr Speaker, do you recall the start of this parliamentary session, when the Leader of the Opposition was trying to raise fear amongst the Australian community about the government’s proposed flood levy? Day after day in question time, we came in here and questions were asked and answered about the flood levy. Fear was being raised—

Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Dr Jensen interjecting

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

The member for Tangney is warned.

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

the sense that somehow the future of the Australian nation would be jeopardised if that legislation passed the parliament. We do not hear about that anymore, do we? We do not hear about it.

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

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: in the minute since the Prime Minister has started answering this question, it has been all argument. She was asked a very straightforward factual question about compensation for housing costs. I would ask you to draw her back to the question.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business has resumed his seat. He used the word ‘argumentative’. I indicate that that is allowed by interpretations of the standing orders that still stand, and I look forward to movements in that regard by the House. The requirement is that the Prime Minister be directly relevant to the question. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I was making the simple point that already this year we have seen a scare campaign answered and dealt with, and the Leader of the Opposition is too embarrassed to even go back to that scare campaign now. So of course he has to start a new scare campaign, and we are seeing today’s scare campaign on display. But that is all it is: a scare campaign from the Leader of the Opposition, making up figures each and every day—

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

Answer the question, you harridan.

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

making up figures in order to cause alarm in the Australian community. But the Australian community are smarter than the Leader of the Opposition gives them credit for. The Australian community believes that climate change is real. Yes, that is a substantial difference from the Leader of the Opposition’s backbench, which is populated by sceptics and deniers. The Australian community believes climate change is real, and the Australian community wants to see us in this place providing practical answers to this challenge of climate change, and that is exactly what the government is doing.

Reputable economists tell us that the most cost-effective way of dealing with the challenge of carbon pollution is to put a price on it, and that is what we will do. We will put a price on pollution—a price that polluters will pay. We will provide generous assistance to Australian families and, because we are a Labor government, the assistance that is provided to Australian families will be fair assistance.

In the meantime, what does the Leader of the Opposition do? It depends. It depends if he is on Alan Jones or in front of a community meeting, in which case he is a climate change denier. Then, if he gets out in front of what he thinks is a more responsible audience, he pretends to believe in climate change. Whether or not the Leader of the Opposition believes in climate change depends on what day you catch him. As the member for Wentworth said, he is the ultimate weathervane in Australian politics: no policies; no plans; no beliefs; no convictions; just slogans and a scare campaign, and that is all we are seeing again today.

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

Before calling the Leader of the Opposition, I say that, having consulted the definition of the expression, I would have thought that the Manager of Opposition Business would have thought twice about repeating the word. He will withdraw.

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

I withdraw the word ‘harridan’.

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

The member for Sturt is warned.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I would have thought that members on my left, given that I had indicated that I was giving the call to the Leader of the Opposition, might at least for those seconds sit there quietly. The Leader of the Opposition.

Darren Cheeseman (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pauline Hanson in drag!

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

The member for Corangamite is warned.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members—Withdraw!

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

The member for Corangamite will withdraw.

Darren Cheeseman (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! Reluctantly—but I do not think it gets through to many people—I now give a general warning. For newcomers in this place—because it has been such a rare thing—it applies to everybody. 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, I merely seek leave to table the HIA report showing that a new house will be $6,000-plus more expensive under the government’s carbon tax.

Leave not granted.