Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That a motion relating to the consideration of the Clean Energy Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 [No. 2], and related bills, and the Climate Change Authority (Abolition) Bill 2013 [No. 2] may be moved immediately and have precedence over all other business today, until determined.

The Australian Labor Party have a choice right here, right now to get out of the way and allow this bill to be debated, to allow this package to be traversed so that the carbon tax can be repealed once and for all.

The will of this chamber is clear through the support of the motion to suspend standing orders. The Australian Labor Party and the Greens have at every turn used every opportunity to seek to delay and to seek to deny this chamber the opportunity to debate the package of carbon tax repeal legislation. We saw their behaviour by withholding quorum in the Environment and Communications Committee, chaired by Senator Ruston—that outrageous behaviour, that trade union tactic, to seek to deny a quorum for a duly constituted committee of the Australian parliament. Through its support for the suspension of standing orders, this chamber has made it clear that the Senate wishes to move rapidly onto a substantive motion that will allow the carbon tax repeal package to be brought on.

I spoke on the earlier procedural motion and I will not detain the Senate chamber any longer. I say to the Australian Labor Party and to the Australian Greens: get out of the way and allow the package of carbon tax repeal bills to be debated so that the carbon tax can be repealed and Australian families can get on average $550 of relief. I commend this motion to the chamber.