Prime Minister Julia Gillard has proclaimed the expected passing of her carbon tax through parliament’s lower house as a significant day for Australians.
But Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has accused the Prime Minister of being the “great betrayer” of the Australian people.
The government’s package of 19 bills, setting up a carbon pricing regime from July 1, 2012, cleared the House of Representatives this morning.
“Today is a significant day for Australians and the Australians of the future who want to see a better environment,” Ms Gillard told the Seven Network.
The Prime Minister defended the government’s selling of its carbon tax, which opinion polls show is opposed by most voters.
“When there is a significant change like this one, we have to keep explaining it,” Ms Gillard said, adding there was information for people to absorb.
Ms Gillard also defended the timing of the tax’s introduction amid concerns about the global economy.
Delaying carbon pricing until 2015 would cost $5 billion more, she said.
“So delay is costly, now is the time to act and this parliament, this House of Representatives, is going to act today.”
The Prime Minister stressed the carbon tax would apply only to the nation’s biggest polluters and that most households would be compensated for any price rises.
Ms Gillard took aim at Mr Abbott’s opposition to the carbon tax and his vow to repeal it if the Coalition won government.
“For Tony Abbott, this is all about the politics and political theatre,” she told ABC Radio.
“We should not take his assertions about repeal seriously, they don’t serve to be believed.”
But Mr Abbott is emphatic the carbon tax will be repealed by the Coalition.
“We will repeal this tax, we will dismantle the bureaucracy associated with it,” he said.
Mr Abbott described the likely passing of the carbon tax through the lower house as “a day of betrayal”.
“I think we’ve got a Prime Minister who is the great betrayer of the Australian people,” he said, adding the parliament had no mandate to introduce a carbon tax.
The opposition leader predicted the cost of living of every Australian would increase as a result of the carbon tax and everyone’s job would be less secure.
He reiterated his plan to repeal the tax if the opposition wins government.
“We can, we will and we must,” Mr Abbott told the Seven Network.
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said his party could take “a great deal of credit” for the carbon pricing package.
“Australia is going to be all the better for it,” he told ABC Radio.
Senator Brown dismissed Mr Abbott’s vow to repeal the tax, saying his “pledge in blood” would be thwarted by growing support for the Greens.
“The Australian people, in the main, want this reform and value it,” he said.
Senator Brown said he would visit the lower house on Wednesday morning to witness the vote.
The government’s job of pushing its legislation through the lower house will be a little easier following the suspension from parliament of Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella.
The Victorian MP was required to sit out the vote and other proceedings today.
Nationals senate leader Barnaby Joyce said her 24-hour suspension would take pressure off the government.
“These things happen,” he told reporters, adding it was a mistake by Ms Mirabella.
“I’m not here to persecute Sophie Mirabella. Everybody makes mistakes.”
Senator Joyce said the carbon tax would have no effect whatsoever on the environment.
“It is a gesture that is going to make you poorer,” he said.
Senator Joyce wheeled out a trolley which contained forms from a National Party survey of more then 5000 people in the rural NSW electorates of independents Tony Windsor (New England) and Rob Oakeshott (Lyne).
Nearly 90 per cent of people in New England were against the carbon tax as were 87 per cent in Lyne, the survey found.
Nationals senator John Williams said it was a clear clear message to the two independent MPs.
“And the message is simple - if you vote for this carbon tax the people will have their say at the next election.
“These seats do not belong to the politicians, they belong to the people.”
Opposition climate change spokesman Greg Hunt accused the government of limiting free speech on the legislation during debate last night.
Labor denied Liberal and Nationals MPs the opportunity to table 4500 submissions against the tax, he said.
“They also denied the ability of Liberal Party and National Party members to table petitions against the carbon tax,” he told reporters.
Labor backbencher Stephen Jones said the passage of the climate change bills in the lower house was a “historic day” for Australia.
“But it is also a day when we put in one of the biggest assistance packages for the steel industry since the Second World War,” the Illawarra region MP told reporters.
Mr Jones was critical of Ms Mirabella’s behaviour in the chamber last night.
“If my four-year-old acted like that, he would get more than 24 hours,” he said.
Greens senator Richard Di Natale said the carbon tax vote showed that the parliament was working well.
“It’s an example of how minority government can achieve some really good things,” he told reporters.
