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

If there is one procedural motion that this chamber has absolutely no need to debate and that should not have been required, it is Senator Abetz's motion to seek to suspend standing orders so that he can move a motion to bring on debate on the carbon tax package of legislation. There is no matter of public policy which has been canvassed in greater detail through the media and through the course of an election campaign than the government's proposition to repeal the carbon tax. There is no public policy matter that has been examined in more detail. I do not need to remind you, Mr Acting Deputy President Gallacher, of former Prime Minister Gillard, who went to the 2010 election on a lie. She went to that election saying there would be no carbon tax under a government she led. Let me put it more diplomatically: she fibbed; she told a porky; she told one of the biggest political whoppers of all time. She, after forming government, set about to break her election commitment, to break her solemn word to the Australian people, and legislate the carbon tax.

The coalition could not have been clearer at the last election that it was our intention to repeal the carbon tax. We were elected on that. If there is one issue that is beyond any doubt, it is that the Australian public knew that, if they voted for the coalition, they were voting for the repeal of the carbon tax. Indeed, there are many colleagues in this place on the crossbenches who also went to the Australian people with the solemn commitment to seek to repeal the carbon tax. All the government is seeking to do is to give effect to the will of the Australian people as expressed in the ballot box.

The carbon tax repeal package of legislation is in fundamentally the same form as the last time it was presented to this place. The only thing that has changed since that time is that we have new Senate colleagues. We all join in welcoming them. Obviously that changes the dynamic in this place. The Australian Labor Party and the Greens fear that this chamber is on the cusp, on the verge, of giving effect to the will of the Australian people. What the Australian Labor Party and the Greens cannot abide is the possibility of not having the numbers on the floor of this place. And we have seen their outrageous behaviour in relation to the committee chaired by Senator Anne Ruston. The Environment and Communications Legislation Committee has concluded its work on this carbon tax repeal package of legislation. It is ready to report. But senators opposite are refusing to provide quorum for that committee.