Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that Labor’s $30-a-tonne carbon tax could increase rail fares by up to $70 a year? Given that a carbon tax is meant to encourage people, not discourage people, from using public transport, how will the Prime Minister compensate state public transport authorities so that fares do not skyrocket as a result of her carbon tax?

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

The member who asked the question started her question with the word ‘given’ and then went on to say something to this parliament—

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

Mr Hockey interjecting

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

You can always rely on the shadow Treasurer for a bit of help. I thank him for that; he is much more supportive of me than he is of the Leader of the Opposition and he is being very supportive now! I thank the shadow Treasurer for absolutely admitting to this House that the opposition is predicating its questions on figures that it is just grabbing—that, of course, it is coming into this parliament to raise fear and, in order to do that, it is making things up. The question asked by the member is just about making things up.

What I would say to the member opposite is: how is she going to feel in the 2013 election campaign? How is she going to feel—

George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Christensen interjecting

Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Simpkins interjecting

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

Order! The member for Cowan! The member for Dawson!

Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Simpkins interjecting

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

The member for Cowan is warned! 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. I say to the member who asked the question: how is she going to feel in the 2013 election campaign after this government has successfully priced carbon—

Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. With all due respect, this question is about a $70 increase on rail. I would like the Prime Minister to come to the question and explain how she—

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

The member for Macquarie will resume her place. The member for Macquarie has made her point of order. Prime Minister.

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

Thank you very much. I say to the member, who continues to float figures that she has just made up: how will she feel at the next election campaign when we have successfully priced carbon through this parliament? How will she feel at the next election campaign, when she is honour bound to go to every constituent in her electorate and say, ‘The assistance the Gillard government gave you, Tony Abbott wants back’—that, if we have provided tax cuts, those tax cuts will be taken away and that, if we have provided pension increases, those pension increases will be taken away.

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. If she is accusing us of inventing a carbon price, she should stop inventing tax cuts which do not exist.

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

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

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Swan interjecting

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will withdraw.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, Mr Speaker.

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

The Leader of the Opposition knows that that was not a point of order, and I say to him that even though it has been the tradition to give leeway to leaders on either side he is stretching the leeway by approaching it in that way. I think that he should leave it at that point.

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

Mr Speaker, further to my point of order: I take your point and I accept your admonition but, in the same spirit, surely the Prime Minister is also stretching things? I would ask you to ensure that she genuinely answers the question.

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

Now that the Leader of the Opposition has raised as a point of order what could be characterised as asking me to ensure that the Prime Minister is directly relevant to the question, the Prime Minister has the call and she knows the requirement to be directly relevant to what is a question that, perhaps for my blood pressure, I might have considered ruling out elements of. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I say to the member as well: how will she feel in her electorate of Macquarie, saying that her political party is led by a climate change denier and that she stands for no effective action on climate change?

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

Order! The Prime Minister will relate her material to the question.

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

On the question of the opposition’s determination to repeal compensation, let me take the House to some very relevant facts—

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You can’t even explain your carbon tax! You can’t sell it; it’s a dud!

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

The member for Indi is warned.

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Under standing order 89, I think the words being used by the Prime Minister would be regarded as offensive words. We all know the connotation that the Prime Minister is trying bring about by using the word ‘denier’. We know that she is trying to allude to the Holocaust. It is offensive and it must stop.

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

With all the sensitivity that the chair can muster, I think that the construction that the Manager of Opposition Business has placed at this point in time is stretching it. The Prime Minister has the call, and the House will come to order.

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

Mr Speaker, after 18 years in the Parliament I do not think there is anybody in this place who would ever accuse me of making light of the Holocaust or any issue to do with the state of Israel. I was 11 years as chairman of the Parliamentary Friendship Group on Israel. I make the connection between climate change denier and Holocaust denier. I find it offensive and I am sure the Leader of the Opposition finds it offensive, and in that spirit I would ask you to ask her to withdraw it.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! If people want to personalise this, as a member of this House for 25 years, and in making my ruling earlier, I indicated that I was making that ruling with as much sensitivity as I could muster. No matter how my learned colleague the member for Sturt wants to put his case, I think that it is stretching the bounds of the way in which this House has conducted its business for a member to put his construction on a statement and forcing a withdrawal.

I simply say to the House that, actually having come to this flashpoint, I would hope that members take a deep breath and behave in a manner that those who observe us from outside would expect. That would apply to both sides—actually turning down the heat and returning to the basics of what we are here for: that is, to debate the issues and not get into the personality clashes that we have seen over many question times. I conclude, regrettably, that we are judged on this hour and a half of our proceedings, and not on the cooperation that is seen about issues that are myriad—including the sensitive issue that I am being lectured upon by a member. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Mr Speaker, further to the point of order and your comments, which I accept and understand, to assist the House I wish to indicate that I find the Prime Minister’s statement both untruthful and offensive. If you do not wish to ask her to withdraw, I just wish to place on the record that it is untruthful and offensive.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! I hope that the whole membership of the House would see that as a full stop. 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 simply refer the House to the Leader of the Opposition’s many past and completely contradictory statements on the question of accepting the climate change science. I also refer the House to the shadow Treasurer’s words from yesterday—facts that the member for Macquarie may be interested in, facts on Sky Agenda, where he was asked by the host, ‘You’ll repeal the compensation?’ to which the shadow Treasurer said, ‘Of course.’ That is why I am putting to the member for Macquarie that, if we give tax cuts, you are committed to taking them away; if we give pension increases, you are committed to taking them away; and if we give direct payments then the Leader of the Opposition has committed you to taking them away. Be honest about that with your electorate.