Carbon tax a ‘suicide note’ for PM – Abbott



THE first full day of debate on Labor’s carbon tax bills contained exactly what was expected – the government spruiked its plan, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott delivered a great one-liner and people obsessed over what Malcolm Turnbull would say.


In the end, the former Liberal leader, who lost the top job to Mr Abbott over his support for an emissions trading scheme, said very little.

Mr Turnbull instead told reporters he was yet to decide whether to speak on the government’s carbon-pricing legislation.

But he did acknowledge the draft laws bore a close resemblance to those he negotiated with former prime minister Kevin Rudd before they both lost their leadership positions.

“I think all of these schemes have got a lot in common,” Mr Turnbull told reporters.

That wasn’t the view, however, of his offsider during the 2009 negotiations.

Opposition energy spokesman Ian Macfarlane told the lower house on Wednesday the bills were “the most job-destroying pieces of legislation I have seen in my 13 years in politics”.

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The tax would destroy Australia’s competitive advantage, he said.

Labor backbencher Shayne Neumann was quick to point out the potential hypocrisy in that statement.

Mr Macfarlane had undergone a “Damascus road conversion” from when he was the coalition’s chief negotiator alongside Mr Turnbull, he said.

Mr Abbott opened his 30-minute speech by declaring the package of clean energy bills amounted to a bad tax, based on a lie, that should be rejected.

He finished by labelling it “the longest suicide note in Australian history”.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard sat stony-faced opposite him throughout the speech, which was delivered to a nearly full chamber.

It emptied when junior climate change minister Mark Dreyfus started the government’s counterattack in a debate that will dominate parliament until the end of next week.

Mr Dreyfus accused the opposition of “being in hysterics” over a policy that was essential to save the world from catastrophic climate change.

Government house leader Anthony Albanese, like many in Canberra, had really wanted to hear what Mr Turnbull had to offer.

The Liberal MP crossed the floor to vote for Mr Rudd’s carbon pollution reduction scheme in early 2010 and is one of the few politicians to have held a consistent view on the issue.

“I think Malcolm Turnbull has views on climate change,” Mr Albanese told ABC TV.

“He knows it’s real, he knows we need to act.”

The most colourful contribution from the government benches came from former army lawyer Mike Kelly.

He channelled former US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” Dr Kelly said.

“Then I think of the leader of the opposition whose line is fear everything and I am fear itself.”

The member for Eden-Monaro added he was proud to stand alongside his Labor brothers and sisters.

“I say go tell the Spartans that there were 103 men and women on this side who stood shoulder to shoulder with courage and commitment in the face of political risk to deliver this legislation for the future of our country and our kids.”

It was left to key independent Rob Oakeshott to point out that for all the political bluster the government had already secured enough support to ensure the bills would pass both houses by mid-November.

Mr Oakeshott confirmed he’d back the carbon price legislation, as would fellow crossbenchers Tony Windsor, Andrew Wilkie and the Greens’ Adam Bandt.

“I therefore expect these bills to pass,” he told parliament.

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