Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Isn't it typical of this government that this man up the back does not speak up for the jobs of his workers but all we get is more inane bluster from members opposite. That is all we ever get from those people.

If this carbon tax regime comes in and we lose our steel industry, aluminium industry, cement industry, glass and plastics, does anyone think that we are not going to continue to use all those substances? Of course we are going to use them. They will be imported. That is the whole point. Under this carbon tax, we will export jobs and we will import emissions. That is the truth. That is what this government is doing to the manufacturing heartland of our country.

We will stand up for the workers of this country. We will stand up for the 45,000 workers who, even on the government's own figures, will lose their jobs in energy-intensive manufacturing.

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