Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

This again confirms that the opposition are bereft of ideas and bereft of any contribution to public policy. They are concentrated on their own internal divisions trying to prop up Mr Abbott’s leadership, under attack from the moderates on issues as broad as multiculturalism, immigration, foreign aid and now climate change. This government actually thinks climate change is a problem that needs to be tackled. We have consistently argued that we need a constructive response to the challenge of climate change and pollution in our environment. We have sought in successive parliaments to get a solution that allows us to bring in a price on carbon and allows us to tackle this great challenge. I would expect that the opposition actually try to engage in that real public policy challenge. Unfortunately, they refuse to. They look inward and are only interested in opposing. I think that other members of the parliament will obviously have to take the lead. (Time expired)