Senate debates
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Questions without Notice
Carbon Pricing
2:23 pm
Russell Trood (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Evans. It is, indeed, a matter of contemporary importance to most Australians. I refer the minister to the Prime Minister's promises to seek community consensus on climate policy and to stop illegal immigration. Is the minister aware of recent opinion polls which show that 60 per cent of Australians are opposed to the imposition of the carbon tax, in breach of the Prime Minister's pre-election commitment? Does the government consider that it has been successful in achieving community consensus since it has successfully united the overwhelming majority of Australians—
John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! On my right! Senator Trood is entitled to be heard in silence.
Russell Trood (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Does the government consider that it has been successful in achieving community consensus since it has successfully united the overwhelming majority of Australians against the carbon tax?
2:25 pm
Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I thank Senator Trood for what I assume is his last question. Unfortunately, it does not reflect the quality of his normal contribution. We have all been backbench senators and we have all been given questions like this, but, quite frankly, it is unfortunate. Most politicians say, when asked about opinion polls, 'I pay no attention to them.' I am not one of those. I obviously read them, like we all do, but I do not actually lead on the basis of them and neither does this government. We actually seek to implement policies we think are for the betterment of the nation. That is what we are doing by putting a price on pollution.
We have argued, since before the 2007 election, like the then Howard government did, that we need to respond to climate change. We need to make a comprehensive response to the effect of carbon pollution on our economy, so we are seeking, through this parliament, through the parliamentary processes, to get legislation in place that will allow us to put a price on carbon. As we finalise the detail of that legislation, we will obviously have to convince the parliament to support it and we will have to build understanding and support in the community. We very much understand that challenge. But, as the government, we have to lead. We are leading on what we think is a very important challenge to Australia.
We will be bringing legislation before this parliament. Senators will get a chance to vote on that, both those who believe in climate change and those who do not, and we will then seek to sell the reasons behind the package to the Australian community and build support for that. That is the sort of leadership we are going to provide. We do think these are important issues and we will continue to prosecute them both in the parliament and in the community and to build support for what we think is a very important economic and environmental reform for this country. (Time expired)
2:27 pm
Russell Trood (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Flattery will usually get you everywhere, Minister, but perhaps not on this occasion. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister also aware of opinion polls that reveal that some 70 per cent of Australians are opposed to the government's so-called Malaysian solution? Does the government consider that it has also achieved community consensus on this issue by uniting the overwhelming majority of Australians against this policy?
Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
All I can conclude from this consideration of the impact of opinion polling on political positions is that the Liberal Party are really saying that the reason they went from accepting the science of climate change to rejecting it is that they read an opinion poll. It seems to me that you are putting the proposition today that a political party should read the opinion polls and therefore change its policy. Quite frankly, Senator, that is not our view. We think it is important that we prosecute the case for good public policy reform. While you may have changed your policy and you may have changed your attitude to the need to tackle climate change as a result of what you saw in opinion polls, we remain committed to what we see as an absolutely necessary economic and environmental reform, and we will continue to prosecute that case because it is in the interests of Australia.
2:28 pm
Russell Trood (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is not the Prime Minister's greatest triumph in achieving community consensus her achievement in uniting the overwhelming majority of Australians in the belief that they no longer want her as Prime Minister?
2:29 pm
Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Because it is your last question, Senator Trood, I will try to retain my sense of humour and politeness. But, quite frankly, it is a nonsense, Senator. We had an election, the parliament was elected and we were able to form a government. We formed a government, we are governing and we are going to provide leadership on the big issues confronting Australia. The Prime Minister is providing that leadership. We are tackling the major issues confronting Australia: bringing the budget back into surplus, dealing with climate change and investing in education and jobs, and all those policies will be pursued with vigour by this government. We are not fixated on opinion polls. We are not fixated on petty political point scoring. We are focused on providing the leadership Australia needs and, by doing that, I am sure that we will convince Australians of the need for the sorts of reforms that we are prosecuting. But we will continue to act in the national interest.