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

I am very happy to introduce the Carbon Tax Plebiscite Bill 2011. The carbon tax which the government proposes to introduce in this term of parliament is the biggest policy change in Australia's history. It should not be introduced without giving the Australian public a chance to have their say, clearly and unambiguously, on this matter. Let us be under no illusion about the magnitude of this bill. This carbon tax proposes to change the way every single Australian lives. It propos­es to make it harder for us to turn our air conditioners on and it proposes to make it more difficult for us to use transport, because air conditioning uses power and power in this country is produced by coal and coal emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and our transport is powered by fossil fuels and the use of fossil fuels emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

So the government's carbon tax, should it become law, will substantially, indeed dramatically, change the way every Aust­ralian lives—and it is supposed to do that. This is not an inadvertent consequence of the carbon tax; the carbon tax deliberately sets out to do that. The carbon tax not only changes the way we live; it is designed to change the way we work. Every Australian business is supposed to use less power, thanks to the carbon tax. If it has to use power, it is supposed to use power from less emitting power sources, thanks to the carbon tax. If there is no choice but to continue to use power from emitting sources, under the carbon tax industries are supposed to reduce in size and ultimately close down. That is the whole purpose of a carbon tax. It is almost impossible to exaggerate the consequence of the carbon tax over time for the way Australians live and work.

A change of this magnitude should be put to the Australian people for them to have their say. It should have been put to the Australian people at the last election, but it was not. It should be put to the Australian people at the next election, but as far as this government is concerned it will not be. That is why it is important that I introduce this bill into the parliament, to give the Australian people their say in the only way that is open to me as a member of this parliament.

We all remember the Prime Minister's pre-election statement, 'There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead.' She made that statement six days before the last election, and does anyone think for a moment that the result of that election would have been the same had she had the honesty and the decency to say to the Australian people six days before the poll, 'There will be a carbon tax under the government I lead'? The Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer described claims that there would be a carbon tax were the government to be returned as nothing less than hysterical allegations. This is a Prime Minister and this is a government that hold office under false pretences, and it is important that this Prime Minister and this government be given the opportunity to make an honest politician and an honest government of themselves by putting this carbon tax to the people. It would be much better were the Prime Minister simply to go to an election and seek a mandate for this carbon tax, but we know she will not do that. I cannot force an election; only the Prime Minister can call an election and only this House can force an election by successfully voting no confid­ence in the government. There is not the disposition in this House to do that at this stage, but this House can force a vote by supporting this bill and that is why it is so important that this legislation be presented to the House.

This bill will determine this matter. If there is a vote the matter will be determined. I want to make it absolutely crystal clear that should my bill succeed and should this matter of a carbon tax be put to the people, that will determine this matter. It may not change the arguments, but it will certainly settle the politics. It is absolutely incon­ceivable that a government faced with a popular vote against a carbon tax would continue with its current policy. Conversely, I have to say that it is absolutely incon­ceivable that an opposition faced with a vote in favour of a carbon tax would continue to oppose it. So I say, 'Let's have the vote and settle this matter once and for all.'

My bill has three effective provisions. Firstly, this question would be submitted to the electors: do you support the government's plan to introduce a price on carbon to deal with climate change? It is a very simple question; it is not a loaded question. Why is the government scared of putting that question to the people? Secondly, that question should be put to the people at a national plebiscite no later than the last Saturday in November this year. And thirdly, I provide in my bill the significant point that the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 should apply to the plebiscite, which would mean that there would be a compulsory vote. Everyone would vote on this. One way or another, the matter will be decided. The government should not run scared of the Australian people. If the arguments for a carbon tax are as clear and as convincing as members of this government say, let us have a vote. Let us put the arguments to the people, have the debate and accept the result of the people's vote. I am prepared to accept the result of the people's vote and the government should be prepared to accept the result of the people's vote. Let us have that vote and let us accept the result. Let us bring it on.

We have many vigorous debates in this chamber and that is the way it should be, but at the end of the day all of us in this House are democrats. All of us in this House accept the result of the people's vote. We may not like the people's judgment, but at the end of the day we all have to accept it. I am committing the coalition to accepting the people's judgment. The government should not run away from the people's judgment. Let us give the people their chance to pass judgment on this carbon tax because it is the single biggest policy change that the Australian people have ever had put before them.

This bill gives members on this side, on the other side and on the cross benches of this House a chance to say where they stand. Are they in favour of letting the people have their say or do they want a parliament with no mandate for a carbon tax to try to sneak it in through legislation? It would be absolutely shameful of this parliament—a parliament utterly without a mandate for a carbon tax—to decide this matter. It is high time we have a vote—preferably an election, but if not an election, let us have a plebiscite. Let us have more democracy and less hypocrisy from this government.

Bill read a first time.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 41(c), the second reading will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.