Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham seeks to debate legislation which has twice been rejected by this parliament because of the failure of the Liberal Party to support it and to support their own election commitments. This government has made clear that you will get another opportunity to debate that legislation. We will go through the committee stage and you can make those arguments if you want. We have released the modelling the Treasury did that indicated the costs that would be faced by consumers and we also produced a package that provided full compensation for them. We wanted to make the polluters pay for the pollution they cause and the damage they do to the environment, and to protect Australian working families from the impact of the scheme. That is what we undertook to do, that is what we are still trying to do, and I would like you to think seriously about honouring your election commitment. I am asking the Liberal Party to honour their electoral commitment and to support an ETS for the nation’s future. (Time expired)