Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

On 7 September last year, the Australian people elected the government with an unmistakably clear mandate—a mandate to scrap the carbon and mining taxes, to stop the boats, to build the roads of the 21st century and to fix Labor's budget mess. Since coming to office, the government has committed itself to methodically and systematically delivering on those promises. Already we have introduced into the parliament legislation to repeal the carbon and mining taxes, to re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission and to strengthen protection for honest trade union members—all policies which carry the mandate of the Australian people.

However, it is disappointing that over these last nine months, the Labor-Greens alliance has been hell-bent on obstructing the passage of the government's legislation. Indeed, so resentful is Labor of the decision of the Australian people that last week it even boycotted the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, with the sole purpose of frustrating the passage of the carbon tax repeal legislation. The Labor-Greens alliance seems to be so desperate to keep the world's biggest carbon tax that they have tried to rort the proceedings of a Senate committee in order to prevent the new Senate from having its say on this important legislation. It now falls to this new Senate to deliver to the Australian people those policies for which the Australian people voted last September, some nine months ago. I therefore congratulate all new senators and also invite all new senators to reflect on the wishes of the people of Australia in electing them to this place and to respect the agenda on which the Australian people elected this government.