Senator EDWARDS (South Australia) (15:26): I rise to take note of the answer given by Minister Wong in her role representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. I notice that Senator Bishop made reference to my colleague Senator McKenzie, suggesting that there may be some parallel with Alice in Wonderland. I remind Senator Bishop that fairies do not live in the bottom of the garden. Your own Climate Change Commissioner has already admitted publicly that the climate will not change for maybe a thousand years. From the outset, the Labor-Greens carbon tax has been a complete shambles. Handcuffed to the Greens you are. You are walking down the aisle together, about to walk Australia into an economic nonsense. Indeed, Senator Bob Brown has handed you jelly-back Labor fellows an economic hand grenade. As we heard in question time today, Senator Wong could not answer Senator Birmingham. It was another lesson, like the one from Minister Carr, in how to not answer questions in question time. She did not get to it. She could not supply an answer on updated modelling or when it would be released—some time this week. All we got was a cross and cranky Senator Wong, who preferred to sledge the opposition than answer the question. I can understand why she is so short-tempered. Her party sold out to the Greens to hold on to government. Senator Ludwig: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. It perhaps might be wise to point out that you, Deputy President Parry, are not a she. Perhaps the good senator could direct his references through the chair. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT (Senator Parry): Thank you, Senator Ludwig. Continue, Senator Edwards, but be careful to address the chair correctly. Senator EDWARDS: I will address my comments through the chair. We know that the government said before the election that there would be no carbon tax. That has been spoken about a lot throughout the community, in this chamber and in the other place. We know that this carbon tax will increase the cost of everything without actually reducing Australia's emissions or the globe's temperature. We know that this tax is not supported by the Australian people. To further add insult to injury to the economy, they intend to ram their carbon tax legislation through the parliament without proper scrutiny. If Labor truly believe that this carbon tax is in the best interests of Australia then they should not fear scrutiny of this legislation. Australians only have until Thursday to get their submissions in to this, as Senator Birmingham called it, shotgun inquiry. There are 19 bills, more than 1,100 pages of new laws for Australia and they have allowed less then four weeks for public comment. Labor knows Australians do not want this tax but it is handcuffed to the Greens. It is a tax that will cost jobs, drive up prices and hurt the economy but will not reduce Australia's carbon emissions— An opposition senator: Not one bit. Senator EDWARDS: not one bit. Labor is in denial of the facts and clearly does not want the Australian people to have their say. The Australian Labor Party should rename itself the Australian Taxation Party because what drives it in 2011 is finding more ways to take money from people to fund its own causes and its own misuse. Why doesn't Labor want to go to the Australian people for them to have a say on carbon tax? Because the government's own figures say that three million households will be worse off under a carbon tax. Three million Australian households will be worse off and should have an opportunity to express their opinion to the committee inquiry. But, no, Labor is effectively silencing them. Not only will three million Australian households be worse off but this could not be a worse time for Australians who are in the manufacturing industry. Australia's manufacturing sector is already under enormous pressure. A carbon tax will increase costs, which overseas competitors do not have to pay. Jobs will go offshore to factories which will emit more emissions than Australian manufacturers, and, under the current economic circumstances, businesses cannot afford another tax. Australian businesses will be at a major disadvantage. There will be no level playing field when it comes to a carbon tax. Australian jobs will be sent offshore for no good environmental gain. The tax will push up the price of electricity, gas, transport and food. Airfares will increase because the tax applies to aviation fuels, and freight transport is only exempt until after the next election. It is simply a device to redistribute, a huge money-go-round where some big companies are to be recompensed because otherwise they will be at a huge disadvantage compared to their competitors overseas. (Time expired) Question agreed to.