Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, and a smirk. The Australian people will understand exactly the hypocrisy of the Greens on this issue. This government told us there was not going to be a carbon tax. When we say 'No' to government, when we point out all the things that are wrong with the carbon tax, when we point out the incredibly bad effect this will have on the Australian people—the cost to the hip-pocket; the cost of electricity, transport and fuel going through the roof; and all those things, most of which will hit regional Australian harder than anywhere else—those on the other side of the chamber love saying that we are scaremongering. That is their distraction to stop us having the Australian people know the truth.

Prior to the last election the Prime Minister told the Australian people, 'There will be no carbon tax under a government I lead.' I also want to refer to what the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, said when he was asked, 'Can you tell us exactly when Labor will apply a price to carbon?' For the chamber, it was 15 August 2010 when he said:

Well, certainly what we rejected is this hysterical allegation that somehow we are moving towards a carbon tax from the Liberals in their advertising. We certainly reject that. What we've said is that we will go back and seek to reconstruct a community consensus about how we deal with climate change.

Unbelievable! There is another lie, because it was not a hysterical allegation. The coalition was right on the money before the last election, saying that this government would bring in a carbon tax. The Treasurer rejected it—here, in black and white. Have we seen any community consensus? None. We have seen one inquiry—six days for submissions and 1,100 pages that no-one could get through. What sort of community consensus is that? It is absolutely appalling. At this point people do not know whether to be furiously angry or incredibly sad that this government is bringing such an appalling piece of legislation before this chamber. It has already gone through the other place and it is a very, very sad day indeed.

We look at Mr Perrett sticking up for his principles because he could not possibly stay there if the Labor Party changed its leader. He could have stuck up for his principles and said: 'Before the last election we said to you that there wasn't going to be a carbon tax. Now there is going to be a carbon tax so I am going to cross the floor and stick up for my principles and vote against a carbon tax.' Then he would have been a true representative, as so many of the other Labor members and senators would have been true representatives. In their hearts, so many of them know that this carbon tax should not be coming forward. They know that and yet they are so bound by the Labor machine that they cannot truly reflect what their electorates want. They cannot truly do what their electorates are asking them to do. I can tell you and anybody listening that you do not have to be a rocket scientist. A kindergarten child could walk down the street, talk to businesses, people in the shops, teachers, policemen, workers in the abattoirs, people in regional communities and people in the cities, and overwhelmingly understand that Australians do not want a carbon tax.

Before the ETS, the Australian people went berserk. They did not want an ETS. They are going to get one in three short years. This was done under cloak and dagger because the Prime Minister promised the Australian people that they would not have a carbon tax. They are now getting one. We will keep fighting it and I promise the Australian people we will get rid of it. (Time expired)