Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. How does he reconcile his earlier statement that the likelihood of the government adopting net zero is zero to his changed public answers this week supporting net zero for the regions? Does he agree with the member for Gippsland, who said, 'I think Michael's removal from office was the greatest act of political treachery in our party in 100 years. I said at the time and I believe it today: it was all about personal ambition; it wasn't a policy'?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first part of that question is in order; the latter part—two thirds of it—relating to the former Deputy Prime Minister, is out of order.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm only too happy to answer the honourable member's question. Within the coalition and within The Nationals, we diligently went through the process, as we've always said, to make sure that it was something that looked after people in regional areas. One of the big things we were looking for when we did that—because it was incredibly important that we checked and went through it—was to make absolutely certain that there was no legislation in there that enforced things, because we don't believe in penalties.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They believe in penalties. They believe that the state reigns supreme over the individual. We believe that the individual rises above the state. They believe in penalties and enforcements—and you're part of that. They believe in legislation. Legislation brings in laws and laws are enforced by penalties. Those laws and penalties put coal workers at threat, put meatworkers at threat, put the people of the Hunter Valley at threat and put the people of Central Queensland at threat. It's legislation that they're looking out for. We were making sure that the people of Central Queensland and the Hunter Valley were safe. We diligently went through that process so that we could go forward with a plan that stood for the people of business. We believe in the inspiration and the smarts of the individual to rise above the enforcements of the Labor Party, the red tape of the Labor Party, all the obstructions of the Labor Party and, finally, the unemployment of the Labor Party.