Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

The answer is no, there is absolutely no reason, Senator Smith. This is an issue that has been extensively debated across the Australian community for a very long time. It was the issue at the heart of the last election. The Australian people, including people across Western Australia, were able to pass judgement at the last election about what they thought of the Labor-Green carbon tax imposed on them in direct breach of an explicit promise in the lead-up to the 2010 election. Guess what? The Australian people said, very clearly, that the carbon tax must go. If Labor genuinely cared about our economy and about jobs in Australia they would vote today to scrap the carbon tax. If Labor genuinely cared—

Senator Wong interjecting—

Here we go. I take this interjection from Senator Wong.