Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I appreciate that, Mr Acting Deputy President, and you are doing a mighty fine job and I congratulate you on that.

The purpose of seeking this extension of hours is to debate a broken promise by this government. It is a broken promise that is going to have a serious impact on electricity prices, a serious impact on the cost of living for everyone in this country and a serious impact on our international competitiveness. We are going to see the export of industry and the export of jobs; we are not going to see the creation of green jobs. We know that this government is desperate for the cash that is going to be generated from that. But it cannot even do that appropriately. This is a new tax where apparently everyone is going to be better off, but we know that is not going to be the case. When we are discussing these extended sitting hours and when we are discussing a range of measures that are going to impact on the Australian people, we on this side of the chamber are being asked to be complicit in the breaking of a solemn promise to the Australian people.