Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

How extraordinary that in the segue into my speech that we would talk about quotes, because there is no more telling quote when it comes to the carbon tax of this nation than that made by the Prime Minister four days before the last election: 'There will be no carbon tax under a government I lead.' That was a complete deception of the Australian public. So do not come into this House and put forward quotes. I could mention more quotes; there are more than just the 'no carbon tax under a government I lead'. That is your Achilles heel in this campaign.

Earlier the minister indicated that he wanted to bring on a fight. Let me advise you, when it comes to the next election: do not bring a knife to a gunfight. The next election will be a bloodbath. If you had any guts you would muscle up and bring on an election right now because the Australian people have had it up to here with the deception this government has practised on the impact of the carbon tax.

Just in case anybody was thinking that the Prime Minister might have been misquoted or that she might have been out there on her own, I draw the attention of the House to a quote from the Treasurer. He said it was absolutely:

… hysterical … that somehow we are moving towards a carbon tax.

What is hysterical is that we are standing here in the Australian parliament still debating the carbon tax. Since this carbon tax was introduced into the House it has had no less than eight changes to it. This is a moving feast. My colleague earlier today raised and highlighted those eight issues.

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