Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

There you go. We have an opposition that is split on the need for action on a carbon pollution reduction scheme. Tony Abbott’s prescription is for a levy of no action at all except on the householders of Australia. What he is saying is, ‘We will not charge the polluters.’ He is saying that he has a plan for $3.2 billion to be levied on the taxpayers of Australia through consolidated revenue to implement various schemes for the abatement of carbon pollution, some of which have been tried by the opposition before and have already been shown to fail. Nevertheless that $3.2 billion is the equivalent of 10,000 salaries for nurses and teachers in this country.

Tony Abbott is saying that rather than cost the polluters he will take the jobs, the wellbeing and the delivery of welfare to average Australians. I say to Tony Abbott that, if he moves to repeal a scheme this parliament has decided on in the interests of this nation in terms of tackling climate change, the Greens look forward to the next election when for every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week we will take him on as he featherbeds the polluters against average households, average small businesses and average Australians. He wants to tax the average Australian against the big polluters. This is the big polluters’ party we are talking about, not just the opposition. It is the big polluters’ party we have on the opposition benches. And Mr Abbott is the doyen of featherbedding the big polluters against the interests of the average Australian who wants action on climate change.