Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I am not responding, Madam Deputy Speaker; I am clearly stating the fact that the coalition has never introduced this as a bill. So, Minister, it is you who is using weasel words and looking for a cop-out as you slam those people out there with these increased costs. You are very proud of that, I can see—sitting there with a smile on your face. You are very proud to be impacting on the cost of living of average Australians. A lot of tradies, too, have converted their vehicles to LPG because it is a cheaper way of operating them. All of a sudden you are going to increase the transport costs of their business by 20 per cent. That will flow on to the cost of the labour that they supply, so the cost of tiling, the cost of building houses and the cost of plumbing will go up—and you, Minister, will be the person directly responsible. That must make you feel so good, as the person who once stood up for the workers and working families. Here you are, prepared to slug them and slag them.

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