Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thought you said you had read it, Senator Nash. It is an interesting commentary up here, Mr Acting Deputy President. Sometimes, when you sit up this end of the chamber you cannot hear what is going on down at that end, so perhaps I am enjoying an advantage over you at this time.

The Leader of the Opposition has had so many positions on this question that you just could not believe that he was ever genuine on it. He has talked about supporting former Prime Minister Howard’s position, which was to propose that if the coalition had won government at the 2007 election they were going to introduce an emissions trading scheme. Mr Abbott said he supported that. Then, in mid-2009, he suggested that the coalition would support Mr Rudd’s scheme. Shortly after that, I think it was just a couple of days later, he said, ‘No, we should oppose it.’ Then of course he came out with that infamous comment that described climate change as ‘crap’—I think that was the word he used. Then, on 4 October—(Time expired)