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

What a remarkable question from the Leader of the Opposition who is on the public record as supporting a carbon tax, who is on the public record as supporting a carbon price and who has said consistently only one thing to the Australian people—that is, that the only thing he believes in is what he thinks the politics of the moment is telling him. That is the only thing he believes in. Historically and famously he was referred to by the member for Wentworth as a weathervane, someone who has no core beliefs about Australia's future and no ability to shape that future. He has no concern about jobs in the future, no concern for pensioners or for family payments in the future and no concern for cutting taxes.

Tomorrow this House of Representatives will vote on putting a price on carbon. This House of Representatives will record its vote on whether we believe climate change is real; on whether we believe that the most efficient way of addressing climate change is to put a price on carbon pollution; on whether we believe in protecting Australian jobs; on whether we believe that pensioners and people who are raising families deserve extra assistance; and on whether we believe we should be providing tax cuts to working people earning less than $80,000 a year and, particularly, providing the biggest tax cuts to people on lower incomes. These will be the things that go for a vote tomorrow.

What I can say to the Leader of the Opposition is that each and every step of the way he has found a way to twist and turn in this debate. He used to be in favour of pricing carbon; now he says he is opposed. I can understand the Leader of the Opposition being here today advocating further delay in putting a price on carbon. I can understand that because the Leader of the Opposition senses what the Australian people will ultimately come to know—that his so-called promise to repeal a price on carbon is just nonsense. He will not repeal a price on carbon if he is ever elected as Prime Minister. He will not do that because more than half of his political party supports putting a price on carbon. He will not do that because to do that would mean repudiating every living Liberal leader. He will not do that because ultimately wiser heads will prevail in the opposition and they will say, 'Don't take money out of the hands of pensioners; don't take money out of the hands of families.' He will not do that and he is not to be believed when he says he will.

Tomorrow this House will record its vote and every member will be required to file in here and record whether they are on the side of history, whether they are on the side of action, whether they are on the side of change or whether they are content to stand against and watch the world change while Australia stays the same. We, on this side of the parliament, will vote for a clean energy future, for reducing carbon pollution, for enabling economic growth without increases in carbon pollution and for putting more money in the hands of pensioners, working Australians who need it the most, people raising families. We will make sure, more importantly than almost anything else, that we seize the jobs and opportunities that come with a clean energy future.

See this speech in context