Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today.

Mr Deputy President, you would be aware that we are now in the final countdown, the final 14 days, before the introduction of the world's largest carbon tax—a carbon tax that you know, sir, is a tax on Australia, its businesses, its industries, its working families and its way of life. It is a tax that is being imposed on an economy that is open, that is competitive, that is energy rich and that of course is resource-intensive—a country that will suffer when this carbon tax comes in. That is what will happen in two weeks time. But I have noticed a funny little swerve in very recent times from the government. They now argue that there are other political parties, other governments, as stupid as this one.