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

I was asked a question where on more than one occasion the member for Hasluck said, 'In relation to the Prime Minister's statement that petrol would not be covered by the carbon price for now.' He said that twice. I am entitled to clarify in this parliament that what I have said here and publicly is that the carbon price will not apply to petrol now or in the future. Members of the opposition have been out there for months and months and months trying to scare Australian families with a false claim that petrol was going up by 6.5c a litre. I will not have them now going out there for months and months again trying to scare Australian families that somehow a carbon price is going to apply to petrol in the future. It is not honest. It is not right. It was implied by the member's question and I correct it now because it would be an irresponsible fear campaign, only pursued by people determined to be dishonest with the electorate.

In relation to the rest of carbon pricing in response to the member for Hasluck, each and every statement that members opposite have made about carbon pricing have been grossly irresponsible and wrong. On a number of occasions I have come into this parliament and said to members opposite that every time they ask a question with a figure in it, they have made that figure up. Having committed that error month after month, day after day, week after week, making figures up in order to pursue a scare campaign, the responsible thing for the member for Hasluck to do now, before he makes any assumptions about how carbon pricing will work, is to wait until he gets the full details of the scheme. Also, the member for Hasluck should be out in his electorate telling every family he meets that his policy and the Leader of the Opposition's policy is to rip $720 a year off them. That is a fact.

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