Senator ABETZ (Tasmania—Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Employment) (14:07): I acknowledge Senator Back's very strong commitment to unshackling the Western Australian economy from the carbon tax, which will save the economy of Western Australia millions of dollars and boost investment in his home state's mining industry, thereby creating more jobs for more Western Australians. There is no doubt that the carbon tax is a job-destroying tax; it is an economy-destroying tax— Senator Sterle: Rubbish! Senator ABETZ: Senator Sterle says, 'Rubbish!' Why did he go to the 2010 election promising no carbon tax and then to the 2013 election saying that the carbon tax had been abolished? Why did you say that? The reason is: you know it is job destroying and you know it is economy destroying and it does nothing for the environment. Senator Wong interjecting— Senator Cormann interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senators Wong and Cormann, that is disorderly, when I am relying on the minister to have the call and to answer the question. That is completely disorderly. If you wish to debate it, do so after three o'clock. Senator ABETZ: I note weekend reports of Mr Shorten desperately pleading with Western Australians to give him and the ALP a fresh start on 5 April. That would be a fair request if there were a fresh suite of policies being offered to the people of Western Australia, but it is all the old, stale policies of the defeated Labor government that are being served up yet again to the people of Western Australia: a commitment to the carbon tax, a commitment to the mining tax, a commitment to defending the out-of-control CFMEU and a commitment to green and red tape. I simply remind those opposite that the Labor Party cannot have its Senate lead candidate in Western Australia saying the carbon tax is gone and then his very own leader and all the Labor senators, including the Western Australian Labor senators, voting to retain the carbon tax here in Canberra.