Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. This morning, market analysts RepuTex confirmed that the Prime Minister's $2½ billion dirty deal with Clive Palmer will only deliver 20 per cent to 30 per cent of Australia's target for carbon pollution reduction. The Prime Minister cannot have it both ways. Has he abandoned Australia's carbon pollution reduction target or will he take billions of dollars more from Australian families to give to big polluters?

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

Our Direct Action Plan is capped, it is costed and it is funded. It is as simple as that. We are confident that Australia will meet our emissions reduction target and we are confident that by far the best way to help reduce emissions is with direct action. The Direct Action Plan is the smart way to reduce emissions. The carbon tax that members opposite still love is the dumb way to reduce emissions and the last thing you are going to do to help our environment is damage the economy. That is what this government will never do. This government will never impose an emissions trading scheme which damages our economy without helping the environment.