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

I thank Senator Edwards for the question. It is important that the carbon tax be repealed as soon as possible. The carbon tax was the crux of the unholy job-destroying agreement between the Australian Labor Party and the Australian Greens after the 2010 election. On 7 September 2013, Australians passed their judgement on both the carbon tax and the Labor-Greens alliance.

Senator Pratt interjecting—

At the 2010 election, former Prime Minister Gillard had promised there would be no carbon tax and, at the 2013 election, Labor issued flyers—of which Senator Pratt would be well aware—claiming it had already abolished the carbon tax. Both were lies. Labor are now being given the opportunity to actually honour their word and to abolish what is the world's biggest carbon tax. If the coalition has a mandate for anything, it has a mandate to abolish the job-destroying carbon tax. But Labor will not follow through on their word with the necessary action in this place—namely, to repeal the iniquitous carbon tax.

All Australians know that the carbon tax is driving up electricity prices and, in turn, increasing the cost of production and the cost of living, and destroying jobs. Labor lost government and the Greens lost a third of their vote nationally. The elected government says Labor should get out of its way and let the people have their say. We will give households a $550-a-year Christmas present, a present which will preserve their jobs and their household budgets, and help Australian business and industry.