Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I stand in opposition to the bills that would seek to pull apart a key economic and environmental plank for Australia's future. I think that what is being proposed by the coalition is an act of not only economic but also environmental vandalism. Climate change is not simply an environmental issue; it is an economic issue for this country as well. The problem we have is that, while we see Europe, Korea, China and now the US moving to deal with climate pollution, we have the spectacle of this country moving back and moving away from taking a strong stand to ensure that we are at the forefront of ensuring the future of this globe. And that is a very important issue for everyone in this country.

You see, my view is that the extremists are in control of the coalition, and those extremists' strings are being pulled by the likes of Gina Rinehart, the billionaire mining magnate, who says, 'I don't believe in climate change,' and says that she does not care about what happens as long as she makes a profit. And, as long as the money keeps pouring into the coalition's election coffers, the coalition will do the bidding of the Gina Rineharts, the BHPs, the Rio Tintos and the Twiggy Forrests. That is what we are faced with here. So we have got the lobby that is all about ensuring that there is not a price on carbon—the lobby that simply put their profits before the environmental good of this nation, before the environmental good of the world, before the economic good of the nation and before the economic good of the world. They take their orders from Gina Rinehart and Twiggy Forrest, because the money is coming through the Western Australian Liberal Party to the Liberal Party to keep running the arguments for their re-election. That is the reality of where we are: it is corporate power that is determining the coalition's position on this. If it were not, why then would you have a Prime Minister, Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who one minute supports climate change and supports a carbon tax and then, when Gina knocks on the door, it is all over, Red Rover—no carbon tax; climate change is not a reality. So you have one of the greatest opponents of climate change going from being a great supporter to being a great opponent. That is the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott.

Then you have all of these minions over here in the government who get their funding for their election through the banking industry. They will not look after the pensioners. They will not look after the poor in this country. All they want to do is get the money into their pockets, and when big business says, 'Jump,' they say, 'How high should we jump?' That is the reality of this mob over here. They do not care about the economy. They do not care about the environment. They only care about the money going into their pockets for their election. That is the bottom line with this mob over here. And they do not care about the community. They care nothing about the community. They do not care what happens to this country as long as big business keeps supporting them financially. That is the bottom line with this mob, and don't the National Party—

Senator Williams interjecting—

Senator Scullion interjecting—

Don't you open your mouth, because you have sold out regional Australia. You have sold out the country—

Government senators interjecting—