Senator CAMERON (New South Wales) (15:09): For the first time in a long time, we have got Senator Payne on her feet talking about Western Sydney. Opposition senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order on my left! Senator CAMERON: I actually lived in and around Western Sydney during all of my time in Sydney, so I know a bit about Western Sydney. Senator Payne, I think Peter van Onselen will be happy that you have actually made a contribution. Senator Payne: Come on down to High Street and see my new office any time you like. Senator CAMERON: I am happy to come down to High Street. Organise it. I will come down to High Street, Penrith, with you and discuss why the coalition is not going to look after the kids of Western Sydney; why the coalition want to put in a direct action policy, which is a load of nonsense and which will cost Western Sydney families far more than anything this government has done; why we are prepared to ensure that families are looked after as the carbon price kicks in; and why we want to look after the future of the kids of Western Sydney. All you do is come in here with your nonsensical rhetoric and scare campaigns. I did not hear you being worried about the workers of Western Sydney when you put your hand up in support of Work Choices. I did not hear you saying that the workers of Western Sydney will have a problem with Work Choices. You did not do that, Senator Payne. You put your hand up here and you supported Work Choices. You supported the workers of Western Sydney having— Opposition senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order on my left! Senator Ian Macdonald: Mr Deputy President, on a point of order on relevance: I know that we allow a very wide-ranging set of circumstances, but unfortunately the question we are talking about is not about Senator Payne; it is about the government's confusion on the $8 price of carbon suddenly becoming $29. I really want to hear what Senator Cameron has to say about it, because certainly the minister could not answer it. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Macdonald. I do draw Senator Cameron's attention to the question before the chair, and can I remind senators not to interject. Could I also remind Senator Cameron to address his remarks to the chair. Senator Cameron, you have the call. Senator CAMERON: I certainly will address my remarks through the chair. But, with the greatest respect, Mr Deputy President, I will certainly draw your attention to the issues raised by Senator Payne in her contribution. You cannot have a situation where Senator Payne is talking about the cost impost on the families in Western Sydney, without dealing with all of the issues of the cost imposts on the families in Western Sydney. Senator Payne's support of Work Choices is an issue. Senator Payne: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order, and I seek your guidance in relation to this point of order. As I understand it, we are currently in motions to take note of answers. The answer, theoretically, at least, in relation to Senator Macdonald's question about carbon tax was about carbon tax. My remarks were about carbon tax—entirely apposite and to the point. They have nothing to do with the matters that Senator Cameron is raising, which are not apposite or to the point. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Cameron, I do draw your attention again to the topic before the chair, and you have the call. Senator CAMERON: Mr Deputy President, I will persist in dealing with the cost-of-living issue for the population of Western Sydney. It is exactly the right issue to be dealing with. I am happy that Senator Payne raised the issue of cost of living in Western Sydney, because the biggest impost in recent times on the working families of Western Sydney was the abolition of penalty rates under Work Choices. It was getting rid of their annual leave loading. It was workers getting $90 to $100 a week ripped out of their wages by the coalition's Work Choices position. This will continue under the coalition because the coalition have what they call direct action. What is direct action? Direct action is supposedly— Senator Kroger: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. I think you have been very generous in the latitude that you have given Senator Cameron, but the fact of the matter is that we are responding and he is meant to be responding to the answers given to the question that Senator Macdonald directed on carbon tax. They are two words that he has not covered in the 3½ minutes that he has been speaking and I would ask him to draw his attention to the question. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Cameron did return— Senator Carol Brown: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. That is what I was going to say; he was talking about direct action and was returning to the issue of carbon price. So Senator Kroger getting up to make a point of order at that time was a little late. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Brown. I was going to indicate to Senator Cameron he did return to the topic. I will be listening carefully to the remainder of his answer. He has wandered in the past. Senator Cameron, you are aware of the situation. Senator CAMERON: I hope I do not wander because of that unfair interjection. I was dealing with direct action. As you are aware, nothing could be more relevant to the issue of the cost of living of workers in Western Sydney than the impost that this nonsense of a policy called direct action would have on working families in Western Sydney. You see, what the coalition seek to do is to use taxpayers' funds to provide so-called incentives to business in this country to reduce carbon pollution. What we are doing is exactly what Peter Shergold indicated in the Shergold report and that was: deal with carbon issues, deal with them through a market mechanism and do not wait till the rest of the world acts, but act now because it is the most important thing to do. I note Senator Sinodinos nodding sagely behind Senator Payne, and that is because Senator Sinodinos was there when this advice was given to the Howard government. Senator Sinodinos supported this position. Senator Sinodinos knows that the cheapest way to deal with carbon pollution is to use a market based mechanism. It was what John Howard said he would use. (Time expired)