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

I was asked a very broad question about what I believe, and I am taking the opportunity to explain it to the House. I believe that it is important for our nation to protect our precious environment. I believe that climate change is being caused by carbon pollution. I believe our nation must address this challenge. I believe that pretending that this challenge will somehow fix itself is not only abdicating your responsibility to the current generation but also letting future generations down, our nation's children and grandchildren. Therefore I believe that it is important for our nation to start tackling this challenge, and from 1 July we will.

This is a need that was recognised very clearly by the former Howard government. The former Howard government did not seek to have the nation believe in denial of the climate change science. The former Howard government did not pretend to the Australian people that there was any other way of doing this effectively than carbon pricing. The former Howard government stood for a comprehensive emissions trading scheme—as did the Deputy Leader of the Opposition when she was a member of that government, as did the Leader of the Opposition when he was a member of that government, and as they have on many occasions since stood for carbon pricing.

But there was a moment of course when the opposition decided that their negativity was better for their politics than supporting a clean energy future. There was a moment when they decided their self-interest was more important than the nation's interest. There was a moment when they decided that the peddling of fear was more important than the statement of fact. There was a moment when they decided to let this generation of Australians down, the next generation and the generation beyond that. Well, the government has moved to put carbon pricing in place. The Leader of the Opposition's fear campaign runs into all of the facts on 1 July, and every hollow, irresponsible, negative campaign claim he has made will be exposed at that time as an untruth, always untrue and continuing to be untrue. (Time expired)

See this speech in context