Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education representing the Minister for Employment. Will the minister explain how scrapping the carbon tax will support jobs in the economy. Why is it important that the carbon tax never be reintroduced?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to get this question from the member for Dobell today, because today is a great day for Australian families and Australian businesses because the carbon tax has finally been abolished. It has taken the government a great struggle because of the opposition of the Leader of the Opposition to listening to the Australian public. The message from the Australian public at last year's election was that they wanted the carbon tax gone. Since the Copenhagen conference, since the collapse of those talks, every reputable published opinion poll has indicated that the Australian people do not support the job-destroying, price-increasing carbon tax.

If that were not enough, in the election last year the Australian public voted in a referendum to abolish the carbon tax. At the Griffith by-election they sent the message to the Labor Party again that they wanted the carbon tax gone by swinging to the coalition—the best swing to a government since 1984 in a by-election in an opposition seat.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Keep telling yourself that!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Ballarat will desist.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the Western Australian Senate by-election, when Labor and the Greens thought they would do well, their vote went backwards. In Western Australia they voted again to abolish the carbon tax.

Ms O'Neil interjecting—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hotham will desist and the member for Charlton will desist.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So, time and again, the Australian public have indicated that they want the carbon tax scrapped, and today the Senate scrapped the carbon tax.

But someone is not listening, and that is the Leader of the Opposition. He refuses to listen to the Australian public. I can tell Bill we will hang this around his neck like a rotten, stinking carcass right through to election day at the end of 2016. You have given the coalition a whole new lease of life, Bill, because we can now tell the Australian public with great confidence that if they vote Labor at the next election the carbon tax will be reintroduced—the job-destroying, price-rising carbon tax that cost Julia Gillard her prime ministership, Kevin Rudd his prime ministership the first time and arguably the second time, and it is going to cost you the prime ministership of Australia. I will tell you who is pleased about that: Chris Bowen, sitting right behind you, member for Maribyrnong. He is waiting for you to fall over on the carbon tax, just like your predecessors. And I am looking forward to that day.

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the Member for Kingsford Smith, we will have silence. That cacophony was not edifying.