MARK DREYFUS MP

This Leader of the Opposition set out with one brutal, simple, negative objective: to do whatever it took to become Prime Minister, and we know this from the member for New England. He sought to tear down the Prime Minister by hook or by crook, by fear and now by smear.

Tonight we commemorate the Deepavali Festival, which is celebrated not only by Hindus but also by followers of the Sikh and Jain faiths. In India, the world's largest Hindu population celebrates the festival each year with huge enthusiasm, with millions of candles lit and hundreds of firecrackers released in the streets.

Energy efficiency is driving innovation, and savings, for households too.

Like so many other BER announcements across the country and in my electorate, Keysborough Primary's facilities offer first-class, open-plan learning spaces, allowing for a change in the way our children are taught. Old, standard square classrooms have been replaced with flexible open areas that allow for interactive, communal and individual learning.

We have had a carbon price in force in Australia since 1 July this year. It is now some four months since that happened. It has been long enough for the first quarter of results from the consumer price index and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to come through, and we can now see that this scare campaign is without basis. If the Liberal Party were a business, the ACCC would have hauled them off to court long since for false and misleading conduct.

The government's white paper published this week, Australia in the Asian century, deals with a matter of great importance to all Australians. Put simply, it is the government's plan to make sure that Australia is a winner in the Asian century.

There is now clear recognition that carbon markets are an integral part of the global effort to address climate change.

Across the world, as here in Australia, there is growing recognition of the need to protect farming land, to protect rural industries and to protect regional communities from the devastation of climate change.

The objective of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal is to provide a mechanism of review that is fair, just, economical, informal and quick. Amendments clarify that this objective is to be pursued by the principal member in performing his or her functions and using his or her powers under the legislation.

The only major threat to business confidence in this country is the opposition and the way in which they wish to create a climate of uncertainty by talking down our economy. They like to talk about chaos and destruction. They like to talk about the supposed dreadful effects of the price on carbon. It is those opposite who are causing chaos, it is those opposite who are causing destruction, with their negativity. They talk down Australia's economy because they want to take cheap political advantage of job losses and business failures.