Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Hansard source

I do not support this suspension of standing orders and I do not back a political stunt that is nothing more than an $80 million glorified opinion poll that is not binding. Maybe you want to listen to something that Paul Kelly has written in the Australian:

THERE is no established practice in Australian national politics for plebiscites to determine policy issues for the obvious reason they are a bad idea that advances neither democracy, good government nor sound public policy.

The plebiscite on the carbon tax proposed by Tony Abbott is not smart politics. It does not assist Abbott's cause or his standing.

So, in fact, I am doing you a favour. You are half-hearted even in this chamber about this. It is nothing more than a political stunt and an $80 million glorified opinion poll that you know is not binding. It is nothing more than a stunt and I don't back it.