Prime Minister Julia Gillard has rejected criticism by a dumped minister that she needs to review the carbon tax and that voters are getting fed up with the government’s “spin”.
Robert McClelland, who was sacked from cabinet in the last reshuffle after becoming the most senior advocate for Kevin Rudd’s ill-fated pitch for the leadership, has used a series of interviews to call for a rethink of the government’s direction.
The carbon tax was a “burning issue” that needed to be resolved, and the broken election promise went to the “legitimacy of government decision-making”.
His comments were backed by former Queensland Labor premier Peter Beattie who told Sky News on Monday night the carbon price was too high and a review was warranted.
Mr McClelland also said voters were repulsed by a sense of political spin and wanted their MPs to be decent people who spoke with sincerity.
Ms Gillard told reporters in western Sydney on Tuesday she understood there was anger in the community about carbon pricing, but she would not be changing her position.
“I made the right decision in the nation’s interest and in the interests of seizing a clean energy future,” she said.
“It will enable us to better support families with tax cuts, family payment increases and pension increases and we will see … clean and renewable energy for the future.”
Ms Gillard said her government was getting things done, such as the national broadband network, hospital reform, a national disability insurance scheme and taxing the profits of big mining companies to share with the rest of the nation.
“It’s not about words, it’s about action,” she said.
“It’s not about spin, it’s about substance.
“That’s the way in which I work and that’s the way in which the government works.”
Cabinet minister Chris Evans told reporters in Canberra, where he launched the MyUniversity website, the government was rolling out “solid policy”.
“There’s no spinning involved in the sort of things the government’s focused on,” he said.
Attorney-General Nicola Roxon also rejected Mr McClelland’s assessment.
“He is entitled to his view, (but) I think it is our job as members of the government to constantly engage with the community … to talk to people about what it is we are doing to make their lives easier or better,” she told ABC TV.
“That’s what we are elected to do.”
