Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We have a view of making sure polluters pay, Senator Bernardi—unlike you over there. You want the taxpayers to fund your policy of a $30 billion bill. That is what you want to do on your side of politics. We will make sure that taxpayers are protected in this exercise as opposed to you lot. You have form in that. If you remember, leading up to the election, an $11 billion deficit was found in your promises. This is why you cannot be trusted on anything. This is why you will fail in these arguments.

Going back to Senator Bushby, he was on those inquiries. He cannot hide from that. He heard the evidence from scientists and economists. He knows there are jobs in this. He knows there is protection in this for the economy. He knows the opportunities that exist to encourage renewable energy. But he does not come in here and argue those points. No, he comes in here and supports his leader’s position that climate change is crap like the rest of you do.

That inquiry was followed up by the inquiry of the Select Committee on Climate Policy. It had good representation. I thought for a moment there that some of the people on the opposite side were coming on board and supporting climate change. But, no, at the end of the day when the report came out they were against it. They have always been against it, unlike us. We have tried to put through climate change legislation since 2008—