Senator Eric Abetz

Senator Abetz: Good morning, we start another week of the Federal Parliament. A lot of issues for the Government to confront. The so called Malaysian solution, the Carbon TAX are all issues where the Government is not doing that which the Australian people would want them to do. We in the Coalition will be ensuring that the people's voices are heard loud and clear. Whether that means we actually win votes in the Parliament or not is another matter but we will be giving expression to the clear voice of the Australian people which is they don't want a Carbon TAX and they do want our borders secured but not through this ham-fisted approach of the Malaysian solution.

Journalist: inaudible.

Senator Abetz: I make a habit of not commenting on polls but can I make this observation in my own area of Workplace Relations. It is heartening to see that the trust of the Australian people has been gained by the Opposition in large measure and whilst we are still behind in the figures, it is a significant improvement and I think it confirms that the approach that Tony Abbott and the Coalition has been taking is one that the Australian people are warming to and one of the previous negatives for the Opposition is being removed on the basis of how we've been handling the portfolio.

Journalist: Why is the Coalition seeking to delay a vote on the Carbon TAX?

Senator Abetz: The Coalition does not want the Carbon TAX so every day that it can be delayed through proper means, the better for the Australian people. The Australian people don't want the Carbon TAX. We don't want the Carbon TAX and it is sheer madness to try to get it through the Parliament. That is why we will do everything we can to stop the Carbon TAX. Let me just remind you that this joint committee that rushed its inquiry has put up on its website numerous letters of support but has deliberately not published on the website thousands of letters opposed to the Carbon TAX. This is how desperate Labor and the Greens have become, that they won't even publish on the website all those letters opposed to the Carbon TAX.

Journalist: What do you hope to achieve by putting forward the amendments?

Senator Abetz: The Opposition is very strongly of the view that the Carbon TAX is a bad TAX. It will do lots of damage to the Australian economy, to jobs, and so we will do whatever we can to defer the decision, delay the decision, because hopefully some of the Independents will come to the realisation that as Independents they are elected on a two-fold basis. One, that they represent the wishes of their electorates and two, that they keep the Government honest. And on both counts some of those Independents are failing the task that the electorate gave them in coming to Canberra, which is to do the will of the electorate. The will of the electorate is not to have a Carbon TAX. The will of the electorate is to keep the Government honest. The Government promised no Carbon TAX.

Journalist: The UNHCR says that the Malaysia deal offers asylum seekers better protections than indefinite mandatory detention, isn't that an endorsement of the Government's policy?

Senator Abetz: I would simply ask the UNHCR or indeed anybody else a very simple question. If you were in the situation of one of these boat arrivals would you prefer to go to Malaysia or Nauru? And I know everybody's answer would be Nauru. And that answers that question very simply.