Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

They think about the abuse of the Public Service for political purposes. They think about the manic prime ministerial behaviour. They think about policy based evidence rather than evidence based policy. And they think about abuse of parliamentary processes. Fuelwatch is all that and more, wrapped up in this one packet of legislation.

During Mr Rudd’s desperate attempt to win the election, he made promises to the Australian people he must have known he could not keep. Mr ‘I feel your pain’ Rudd told Australians he would reduce petrol prices for them. He has not. The only way he could have done so would have been by reducing the excise tax, but the only positive move to reduce petrol prices was deliberately rejected by Mr Rudd and Labor.