Download Fragment

Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Page: 11611

Carbon Pricing

Mrs ANDREWS (McPherson) (14:18): My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the millions of Australian families who will be worse off under the carbon tax, such as a child-care worker and a part-time retail assistant who will be worse off by $137 a year, a police officer and a marketing assistant with two children who will be worse off by $506 a year, a paramedic and a stay-home mum who will be worse off by $102 a year. Where are these families expected to find the money to pay for the government's carbon tax?

Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (14:19): Thank you, Mr Speaker—

An incident having occurred in the gallery—

The SPEAKER: Order! The House will come to order!

The SPEAKER: Order! I would hope that the member for Riverina was satisfied with the way in which the gallery was dealt with on that occasion. It is a privilege to be in the gallery—a privilege. And I think that I have been fairly lenient. But I congratulate those, on behalf of us, who dealt with a demonstration. They have my full support. They do not have to be directed. They know what is appropriate. I call the Prime Minister.

Ms GILLARD: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I say to the member's question—and as I do so I look at those in the gallery who are properly exercising the privilege of being there, and I can see in the gallery children who are here today with their parents—that what I would say to those families is this is a reform the Australian nation needs for the children we see seated in the gallery today. This is a reform for those children. An incident having occurred in the gallery—

The SPEAKER: Order! The House will come to order. I place on the record so that we get it clear, like recent speakers I am concerned that members of the public continue to have ready access to the galleries of the House. In saying that, I would presume that all visitors want to observe and listen to proceedings of the House. I understand that often the matters that are discussed would be matters about which visitors and others may have strong feelings, and I understand that, but I would hope that all visitors will understand they are not permitted to intervene from the galleries and that the security staff will be directed to remove any individuals who persist in intervening or disrupting proceedings. It would be unfortunate indeed if the House were to be forced to impose further restrictions on access because of the actions of a minority. I think that that is what we should really keep in mind.

Honourable members interjecting—

The SPEAKER: Order! I think members should be very careful. The Prime Minister.

Ms GILLARD: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I was referring to the future of some of the children I see in the gallery and the children who are beyond the gallery today. The member asked me why someone should support putting a price on carbon, and in answer to her I would say that people would support putting a price on carbon because they care about the Australia that those children will become adults in.

An incident having occurred in the gallery—

The SPEAKER: The attendants will take action to remove people from the galleries. Order! The Prime Minister.

Ms GILLARD: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. As I was saying, I was referring to this nation's future and to the future that the children of this nation will have in the nation that they will grow up in.

An incident having occurred in the gallery—

The SPEAKER: Order!

A government member: Press gallery?

The SPEAKER: Order! Those on the floor of the chamber do not need to encourage the only gallery I cannot see!

I assume that most of the serious people are still there and those who think this is a joke will be down taking interviews of the protestors.

But we have got to a stage where I am actually getting messages about whether I am considering clearing the galleries. What I will tell you is that I am not. But, if there is anybody else in the gallery who wants to get something off their chest, do it now and then leave by themselves, because the rest of the people are here to view proceedings. The only alternative that I do have is to clear the galleries, and I will not be doing that. But I am not endangering those who are employed by the parliament to keep order in the galleries. I hope that some people might think of that and that anybody who can do anything to assist the orderly behaviour of the galleries would do so. The Prime Minister.

Ms GILLARD: For that Australia of the future, I believe that Australians do want to see us tackle climate change, that they want this generation and the generations that lie beyond to grow up in an Australia where our economic growth is no longer dependent on carbon pollution growing. I believe they want to see children grow up in an Australia that has a better environment, where we are walking more lightly on our planet than we do today. I believe they want to see an Australia where young people, middle-aged people and older people have the opportunity to get clean energy jobs. They do not want to see this nation lose the global race for a clean energy future. They want us to have our share of those opportunities here.

Mrs Andrews: Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. It is on relevance. My question was: where are these families expected to find the money to pay for the government's carbon tax?

The SPEAKER: The member for McPherson will resume her seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

Ms GILLARD: I believe they would want to see an Australia where we direct our resources to those who need those resources the most, which is why with putting a price on carbon we have deliberately designed the assistance that goes to households so it assists those Australians who need that assistance the most—like pensioners, like people who earn less than $80,000 a year, like families raising children.

I would say to the member that when she contemplates the circumstances of those families she may want to contemplate the alternative that the opposition says it believes in, where more money will need to come from those families to give to the biggest polluters, whilst of course the scheme that this House of Representatives has passed today is a scheme where we get the money from the biggest polluters, creating an incentive for them to reduce their carbon pollution, and use that revenue to assist Australians who need that assistance the most.

I would say more generally to those on the floor of this parliament that the obligation which comes with sitting in this parliament, and it is a heavy obligation, is not to agree with everyone who raises their voice; it is to do the right thing for the nation's future. That is what this House of Representatives has done today.