Clive Palmer (Fairfax, Palmer United Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does President Obama favour an emissions trading scheme? If so, why? Did you tell President Obama the increase in excise indexation was really a carbon tax? Why is the government taxing Australians on carbon when Australians voted against it? Why do Queensland and Western Australia wear the burden of the nation for carbon tax?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Question time is supposed to be for a single question. That seems to be a multiple number. But, nonetheless, the Prime Minister has the call.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank the member for his question. I do look forward to working with him for the abolition of the carbon tax, and I do look forward to his support for the abolition of the carbon tax when the Senate changes in just a couple of weeks time. I want to assure the member that we will abolish the carbon tax, because I share his concerns about the impact of the carbon tax on the people of this country, particularly the impact of the carbon tax upon the people of Western Australia and Queensland. We will rescue them from this toxic tax. We will. We will absolutely rescue them from this carbon tax. We said we would scrap the carbon tax before the election. Even members opposite said that they were going to terminate the carbon tax. It is just that they said one thing before the election and did the opposite after the election—as always. So I am happy to say that the Leader—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. If that does not violate the standing order on irony, nothing does.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would remind the Manager of Opposition Business that the standing orders relating to irony only relate to questions, not to answers.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me conclude by assuring the member who asked the question that when it comes to the carbon tax it seems that he and I are on precisely the same page.