Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Exactly. Senator Scarr is right. It's less than one a day to go and work with and speak to about this. We are exhausted by the debate and the lack of answers forthcoming, answers we need to satisfy ourselves as we hurtle towards a vote being forced upon us by a deal between the Labor Party and the Australian Greens to get their dirty little agreement enshrined in law, an agreement that the people of Australia will be paying for through the nose through increased power prices, more-expensive fuel and more-expensive food, and no assurances have been given. What are we left to do but to assume that the worst will happen?

I feel very sad that we actually have no attempt by government to quantify that, to understand that, to demonstrate to Australians that 'don't worry, these things won't happen'. That's not happening. We just get the repeated answers in response to direct, specific questions, which I am so flabbergasted that the government isn't prepared to answer, around impact on these specific facilities. But here we are, with very little time before us, and the government will end this week having driven up power prices, having driven up the cost of fuel, having driven up the cost of food, with all of these jobs going offshore and worse environmental outcomes. I say, 'Well done,' but it's a dark day for Australia. Frankly, they should hang their heads in shame.