Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McEwen for that wonderful interjection. The evidence is overwhelmingly clear that the Liberal Party in Tasmania is growing. It is now the biggest party in Tasmania. It would win a state election in its own right. On the latest opinion polls it would win the seats of Braddon and Bass and chances are Lyons and Franklin and three Senate seats. Do you know why there has been this transformation, Senator McEwen? Because of your deceit to the electorate. The people of Tasmania know that every single Labor member and every single Labor senator was elected at the last election on the promise of no carbon tax. Members of the Labor Party have defied and betrayed the people who elected them. The people of Tasmania now trust that the Liberal Party has the integrity to stand by its election promises, unlike the Australian Labor Party.

That interjection from the hapless Government Whip highlights the difficulties that the Australian Labor Party are in. The coalition will continue to fight this carbon tax and its consequences all the way to the next election and, if the people of Australia give us the mandate, we will repeal it.