Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in support of those people in McEwen who have contacted me in relation to the government's plan for pollution reduction. From Woodend to Warburton, from Epping to Eildon and all points in between, many people have contacted me supporting the idea of protecting our environment and giving our kids a cleaner future. No matter where I travel across the electorate, I am very proud to see people looking beyond the ranting headlines that we see in some newspapers, and instead looking at the legislation that we passed in the House and at what we are doing and what we are aiming to achieve. I think this speaks volumes for the intelligence of the people of McEwen, who take the time to actually look and plan and see what we are doing about ensuring we get a better, cleaner future for our kids.

Many of the people I have spoken to are quite perplexed that both sides of politics have the same target in emissions reduction but that only one side is actually doing it by making sure that those who pollute pay; versus taking money from families to support the polluters. They know that nine in 10 households will receive assistance through tax cuts or payment increases and that everyone earning up to $80,000 a year will get a tax cut. For most people it is quite substantial: $300 to $400.

We also know there are issues for young people who live in rural areas having access to decently paid jobs. The government lifting the tax-free threshold gives these young people an opportunity to earn more money and invest that money in helping them travel—as we need to do in regional areas to find good paid work closer to places like Melbourne.

The pensioners we have spoken to and sat down with and gone through the clean energy website with have all been very impressed with the way they are going to be supported by this government. To some people, earning an extra $500 a year helps them, while they know that they are doing their bit to ensure that Australia's future is cleaner and that their grandkids and their great-grandkids are going to have a better future and a more stable environment. As I said, it speaks volumes for the intellect of the argument.

I really must put on the record how shocked I was when I was watching the television last night—at some of the people who were ejected from the parliamentary galleries yesterday and the language that was used about our Prime Minister. I think it shows that these intellectually bereft people have got no idea what they are talking about. To attack the Prime Minister—the words that were used on the news last night—was an absolute disgrace and does nothing for the argument that they are putting forward.