Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister received any correspondence from the leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia, Mr McGowan, outlining his stated opposition to federal Labor's carbon tax?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not to my knowledge. However, the leader of the opposition in Western Australia has made his position known publicly. He has made his position about a carbon tax known publicly. He has also made his position public that he supports an emissions trading scheme. Of course, the change that we have brought to our nation ensures that there will be an emissions trading scheme from 2015 and that, of course, was supported by the Leader of the Opposition as a minister in the Howard government in his book Battlelines, and on Lateline. An emissions trading scheme has been supported broadly by the opposition. Unfortunately for a negative fear campaign, the opposition traded in their position under the Howard government for negativity and they are still stuck there. However, as I understand it, Mr McGowan is in support of an emissions trading scheme. Pricing carbon is the right policy for our nation. Prime Minister Howard knew that. The Leader of the Opposition knew that when he sat around the cabinet table. They have replaced all of that, as you well know, with the cheap negativity we see today.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I have a supplementary question. How can the Prime Minister claim that no-one has noticed the carbon tax when her own West Australian leader is dead against it and is this why he has banned her from any appearance in the West Australian state campaign?

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has the call. The last part of the question has nothing to do with the previous question. The first part did.

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting—

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition might be unwelcome in the chamber very shortly if she is not careful.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we see is the Leader of the Opposition back to form on his negativity about carbon pricing. There are these things called facts. The Leader of the Opposition might not like it, but there are these things called facts. If the Leader of the Opposition is in a position to, he should outline to the Australian people which one of his statements during his campaign of fear has come true. Just name one, one that has come true. A roast, $100. No. Whyalla wiped off the map? No. Astronomical increases in the cost of living? No. Jobs growth being completely wiped off and millions of Australians thrown out of work? No. The Leader of the Opposition is exposed as having run the most mendacious fear campaign this nation has seen against a background of being a supporter of an emissions trading scheme. What I do thank the Leader of the Opposition for is that we knew that this pretence of being positive could not last and it has come shattering to the ground with that question today. Back to form, back to the usual Mr Negative, here he is.