George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Let me take your interjection, Senator Arbib. We will stand the judgment of the Australian people on this, but you won't. We will abide by the result of any democratic plebiscite. In fact, your fellow travellers from GetUp! have been waging an expensive television campaign, the tagline of which was 'Say Yes to action on climate change' and 'Say Yes to the carbon tax'. That is fine. I believe that people who believe in the carbon tax should have every opportunity to say yes to it so long as people who do not believe in a carbon tax have the same opportunity to say no to it. We are only hearing one side of the argument and the only opportunity the vast majority of Australians will have to cast their judgment, the vast majority of Australians who want to say no to a carbon tax are ever going to get to say no to it, is if this plebiscite bill passes.

Beware of a government fleeing in panic from the judgment of the people. Beware of a government that mocks the exercise of democratic choice as 'a stunt'. Beware of a government that says there is only one side to this story and that is the government's line and if you disagree with the government's line then you do not get the opportunity even so much as to say so. And beware of a government led by an individual who lies her way into office—