Steve Georganas today betrayed Adelaide’s western suburbs by voting for the carbon tax, Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham said today.
 
“Today, Mr Georganas had the opportunity to restore faith with the people of his electorate,” Senator Birmingham said.
 
“Mr Georganas had the opportunity to stand up for the people of Hindmarsh, honour the word on which he was elected, and stop the carbon tax that the Prime Minister promised we wouldn’t have.
 
“Mr Georganas has betrayed the people of Hindmarsh today by voting for the carbon tax.
 
“Steve Georganas has voted for this job-destroying carbon tax and abandoned jobs and industries throughout Australia, especially those in Adelaide’s western suburbs.
 
“This fundamental betrayal is going to impact on people’s cost of living and it is going to make their jobs less secure.
 
“On the Government’s own figures, 3 million Australian households will be worse off under the carbon tax. On the Government’s own figures, dual income families will be worse off once they have the income of a school teacher and a shop assistant; or that of a policeman and a part-time nurse. Where are these families expected to find the money to pay for Julia Gillard’s carbon tax?
 
“When the Prime Minister said five days before the last election ‘there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead’ she was giving a commitment on behalf of every Labor member of parliament, including Mr Georganas.
 
“If Mr Georganas was serious about keeping faith with his electorate he would have opposed the carbon tax.
 
“The Liberal Party’s commitment to the Australian people is that we will continue to do everything in our power to fight this toxic tax.
 
“If we are going to take the cost of living pressures off Australian families and if we are going to give Australian manufacturing industry a fighting chance, then we must fight the carbon tax.
 
“The Liberal Party will continue to oppose Labor’s toxic carbon tax in opposition and we will rescind it in government.”