John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I commence by saying that this tax is about the great betrayal, the great betrayal of our Prime Minister, our Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer, Mr Swan, and those others who have supported this government into power. I refer to Mr Windsor, the member for New England. Just prior to the 21 August election, ABC radio in Tamworth, hosted by Kelly Fuller, on the morning show, was interviewing the candidates for the seat of New England. She put the question to Mr Windsor: 'Mr Windsor, you put a private member's bill into the House of Representatives when the emissions trading scheme, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, was the saviour of the world. Your private member's bill wants a 30 per cent reduction by 2020 on 1990 levels and a massive 80 per cent reduction by 2050 on 1990 levels.' Mr Windsor said: 'No, Kelly, that wasn't my bill. I just put that into parliament of behalf of some of my constituents.' He shirked the question. He misled his people of New England. Then he comes out afterwards and says, 'I have always wanted a price on carbon.' No, he has not. He misled the people of New England, and if they had known beforehand that he wanted to drive this whole carbon tax emissions trading scheme debate they would not have voted for him.

Mr Windsor is a great one to survey his electorate. He did a survey in his electorate on tax reform, euthanasia and same-sex marriage. But when he came into the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee that he insisted, in his deal with Ms Gillard to put her into government, that she form, he drove it as much as or even more than the Greens. But he would not answer an honest question from Kelly Fuller just prior to the election.

People might say this is all being driven by the Greens. No, the Independents have driven it. I will get on to the other Independent, the other betrayer of his electorate, Mr Oakeshott. A freedom of information inquiry by MP Jamie Briggs shows that months before the announcement of this Mr Oakeshott was working in conjunction with Ms Gillard to set up this whole carbon tax.

We have not heard a solid argument from the government. Perhaps when Senator Conroy addresses the chamber on his attitude to the carbon tax we might hear the real facts and might even give some argument for it. But I doubt it very much. I doubt that will happen. I just do not think Senator Conroy will give a convincing speech in this parliament about why he thinks we should have a carbon tax. We will wait and see. I notice he is not on the speakers list yet. That will come later, I am sure.

Let us look at Australia's emissions: 578 million tonnes this year. That will go, by Treasury's figures, to 621 million tonnes come 2020.