Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question again is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that after a decade of denial on climate change, he has also sought now to deny the existence of his taxpayer funded advertising campaign on climate change? Prime Minister, is there any chance that Australians will have the existence of this taxpayer funded campaign on climate change confirmed when they receive the Prime Minister’s letter and pamphlet in their mailbox and when they start seeing the TV ads?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for asking me a question about climate change. I think that it is rather good that he should ask a question about climate change this week, because I can inform the Leader of the Opposition that I expect to receive this week a report of the taskforce—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Jagajaga has been warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He has been engaging in chatting across the table. Heads come up. No longer are we furiously scribbling notes!

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Brendan O’Connor interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gorton is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He will do anything to keep the deputy leader under wraps today, anything to keep the deputy leader out of the firing line. He has turned his back now.  We will receive the report on climate change this week. Unlike the Labor Party the government does not intend to set targets when we do not know the implications.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order under standing order 104. This went to the Prime Minister’s—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat immediately. The Prime Minister was asked a question about climate change. He is in order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unlike the Labor Party—those who sit opposite—we have no intention of embracing a target when we do not know the economic consequences of it. We have no intention of embracing a target that is going to do damage to the business community. We have no intention of embracing a target that is going to do damage to the great coal industry of Australia. I can imagine the impact that the devastation of the coal industry would have on hundreds of thousands of small businesses, including many thousands of motels dotted around the country, that would be adversely affected. I can assure the Leader of the Opposition that when we receive this report it will be made available to the Australian public and it will represent this government approaching the issue of climate change in a methodical and systematic fashion.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: are you ruling that he can talk about anything to do with climate change whatsoever?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the member for Grayndler wishes to reflect on the chair, I will deal with him.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I am asking you for your ruling. Standing order 104—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. The Prime Minister was asked a question on climate change. He is in order.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think what will become apparent when this report comes out is that the decisions that will need to be taken on climate change will represent the most significant and difficult economic decisions that this country will take in 10 or 20 years, because although climate change is seen generally as an environmental issue, its true character is economic.

Bob McMullan (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Federal/State Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, we have now got the professor!

Bob McMullan (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Federal/State Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I raise a point of order. The standing orders do require answers to at least be relevant to the question. The question was about this secret climate change campaign about which he is in denial.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Fraser will remember that there was quite a lengthy question which included a preamble. The Prime Minister is in order. I call the Prime Minister.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The whole basis was our commitment to climate change. I simply say again that this report will make it very clear that decisions to be taken on climate change issues will represent the most significant economic decisions this country will take in a decade. It follows from that that it will be—

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the Prime Minister was asked a specific question about climate change advertising campaigns.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kingsford Smith will come straight to his point of order.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can you direct him to stick to the point.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister is in order.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It will be very clear when this report comes out that these decisions will be amongst the most significant that will need to be taken by this country economically over the next decade. Although climate change is seen generally as an environmental issue, the character of those decisions will be overwhelmingly economic. It is therefore essential that those decisions be taken by people who have a long-term commitment to the continuing strength and competitiveness of the Australian economy, by a group of people who have a long-term commitment to a flexible industrial relations system, by people who have a long-term commitment to the important role of small business in the Australia community, by a group of people who believe that one of the best things you can do in life is to—

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind the member for Kingsford Smith that I have already ruled on the relevance of this point.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would ask you to direct the Prime Minister to the context of the question that was put to him. We are now getting a lecture on industrial relations.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kingsford Smith will resume his seat. The Prime Minister was asked a lengthy question and he is in order.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I conclude my answer by saying that, if the economic decisions on climate change are not right—

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Snowdon interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lingiari is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

there will be long-term consequences for the economy and, most importantly, for Australian jobs. On that note, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.