Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

than any other developed nation. That means, in generating a clean energy economy for the future, we have got a bigger journey to travel, and that is why we need to start the journey now. I understand that the Leader of the Opposition and members of the Liberal Party generally are out there trying to stoke fear on this issue. They have got no solutions; they have got no belief in climate change; they have got no views about the future of this country. All they stand for is relentless negativity, to the disgust of many people who hold a Liberal Party ticket. We will meet their fear campaign with facts. As we design carbon pricing, we will be working with Australian businesses and industry to ensure that we protect Australian jobs.

If the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is truly concerned about the employment prospects of Australians today and Australians tomorrow then she should be supporting the most efficient way of tackling climate change: pricing carbon and generating the clean energy economy we need for the future. She should not be advocating a strategy which would have our nation left behind, including behind countries where her conservative counterparts are taking positive action on climate change.

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