Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I could equally ask: is there any point at which those opposite will acknowledge the importance of those regional jobs or those regional communities? We are going through these discussions asking all the right questions. On this side we ask all the right questions. We don't make a commitment and then try to work out how to do the plan in place. We are, in parallel, working through the questions of how we deliver the commitments in relation to climate change but do so in ways that support the regional communities and jobs of Australians. That's the responsible way to go about these policies—to do it in alignment, to do it together and to make sure that you can present plans that do provide the support and respect to Australians. It's unsurprising, given the question that Senator Gallagher is asking, that those opposite simply make the promise without consideration for the consequences. They make the promise without actually thinking about the plan. They jump out of the plane and then see whether they've packed the parachute. We're making sure that we have everything answered in advance.