Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Ludwig is absolutely wrong. He said that Senator Abetz's motion simply seeks to have this matter dealt with and supported after the next election. Quite to the contrary, what the motion seeks to do is to have all consideration of the package of bills not take place until after elections for the 44th Parliament. That means that the next election would be about what the last election should have been about—a carbon tax. We would debate the merits of a carbon tax: is it good; is it bad? Do the Australian people want it, yes or no? That is what the effect of this motion would be, and the 44th Parliament would then have the opportunity on the basis of that election result to give effect to the will of the Australian people. I am pretty confident that the voting public would make it clear that they do not want this legislation and that this legislation, if it is still on the books of the Senate—