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

It seems that Senator Abetz, like his leader, has trouble accepting the results of the last election, but I am afraid that that is where we are at and he ought to try to accept the result. All these rhetorical flourishes, which may well go down at the Hobart Liberal Party council, are not the same as having a proper policy debate. I would encourage the opposition to engage in a proper policy debate—not making three-word slogans and accusations about lying et cetera but actually debating the policies. Does the opposition believe climate change is occurring? Do they believe humans contribute to that? Do they believe we need to take serious action to address those concerns? The reality is that everyone who accepts the logic of those propositions accepts that we need to put a price on carbon, and that is what this government is going to do.