Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I heard an interjection from those opposite saying that this represents a misrepresentation on our part. I have gone through seven reasons they have given in the last 12 months to prevent them from taking a final position on climate change and carbon pollution reduction, and those opposite say that we are misrepresenting the facts. Those opposite had an opportunity in their party room today—most particularly the Leader of the Opposition—to show some leadership, to take a position, to actually stand up for the national interest rather than to act purely in terms of the Leader of the Opposition’s personal interest.

The moral authority of the Leader of the Opposition on climate change, and more broadly, was shredded once and for all in the joint party room today. The member for Higgins, representing the next leadership of the Liberal Party, went in there a couple of months ago and said, ‘The Liberal Party cannot support this action on climate change,’ and what we saw today was the current Leader of the Opposition buckle to that pressure. Australia demands action in the national interest and what we have seen instead is partisan action on the part of those opposite, an absolute failure of leadership and an undermining of the national interest.

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