Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I am really pleased I have been asked a question about priorities and am delighted to get a question when it comes to carbon pricing. I am delighted to get a question that follows a discussion on the Asian century and how the path forward is the high-wage, high-growth path that is plotted for us in the white paper, because one of the foundations of growth in the 21st century is putting a price on carbon—putting a price on carbon so we can drive investment in renewable energy. Driving investment in renewable energy is the key to prosperity in the 21st century for a developed economy. So we do not apologise, for one minute, for putting in place a fundamental reform that drives investment in renewable energy. But what we get here—day in, day out—is all of this negative talk, all of this exaggeration, all of this approach which simply trashes public policy.

We do not apologise for what we have done with carbon pricing. It is absolutely essential to the jobs of the future. You can ask as many questions like that as you like; you will have no impact. I will tell you this: the public of Australia are no longer listening to this negative approach. They are sick of the harping. They are sick of the carping that is coming from those opposite. They are absolutely fed up with the approach of those opposite.

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