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

My question is for the Prime Minister. I refer her to page 107 of the government's carbon price modelling which shows a 61.7 per cent decrease in aluminium production as a consequence of the carbon tax. I ask the Prime Minister: does she stand by her previous answer to my previous question?

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

It is not as a consequence of the carbon tax. Once again the Leader of the Opposition is attempting to mislead the Australian people about carbon pricing, just as he has every day, because he thinks this negativity is in his political interests. He gives not a thought to our nation or to our clean energy future; every day the only thing he is concerned about is how negative he can be today in the hope of politically profiting, and that is what motivates him to ask questions such as this one to try to mislead the Australian people.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I have been accused of misleading the parliament. I seek leave to table page 107 of the government's carbon tax modelling.

Leave not granted.

I seek leave to table this—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: given that page 107 of the carbon tax modelling shows a 61.7 per cent reduction in aluminium production, I ask the Prime Minister to—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. It is not a point of order.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: you have been very forthright about people who claim that they are misleading the parliament when others are misleading the parliament. The Prime Minister has just baldly claimed that the Leader of the Opposition has misled the parliament when in fact she is doing the misleading of the parliament, and it should not be allowed.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are other processes and forms of the House if the Leader of the Opposition claims he has been misrepresented. They cannot be used now, at question time, but he is fully aware of how he can use them after question time if that is what he wishes.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. With the greatest of respect, I would have thought—and I hope you will take this advice from the opposition—that, if the parliament is to work, the Prime Minister cannot make misleading statements to the parliament and accuse others of making misleading statements.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is nothing within the standing orders that would allow me to ask the Prime Minister to withdraw. There are other forms of the House that the Leader of the Opposition is well aware of and that he can use at a later hour today.