Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Hansard source

In terms of the Australian way of life, starting with truth in government, starting with your commitments, starting with the fundamental contract with the Australian people would be an absolute essential for good governance in this country. The member for Melbourne struck a compact which caused the government of the day to breach their fundamental pact with the Australian people. Do you know the worst thing about it? Apart from the fact that it was a $550 tax, apart from the fact that it was an increase in electricity prices, apart from the fact that it was an increase in gas prices, it did not do the job on climate change. If you want to have an impact you would think that you would actually want to reduce emissions. The latest figures are that after a multibillion- dollar tax the decrease in Australia's emissions—these are not our figures—was 0.1 per cent from this great tax over the first year. So a multibillion-dollar tax, with a $550 a year impact on Australian families, came at the cost of a fundamental compact between Australian families, Australian pensioners, Australian voters and the government of the day.

We are concerned about protecting Australian families. We are going to take actions which actually reduce our emissions, rather than a 0.1 per cent impact from a multibillion-dollar tax. I welcome this question from the member for Melbourne—come on down with more—but at the end of the day, if you want to do something for the Australian way of life, stand up for truth and stand up for the compact between the Australian people and the government.

Mr Conroy interjecting—

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