Tony Abbott likens carbon tax to socialism in speech to Tasmanian Liberal Party conference

Updated

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has used Labor's internal leadership rivalries as ammunition to goad the Opposition into helping scrap the carbon tax.

Mr Abbott wants legislation to end the tax passed by Christmas, but has so far failed to secure enough support in the Senate.

In a speech to party faithful at the Tasmanian Liberal Party conference in Hobart, Mr Abbott said Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's change of heart on the Labor leadership is evidence he can alter his position.

Mr Shorten cleared the way for a last-minute change in prime minister before the 2013 federal election when he switched his support from Julia Gillard to Kevin Rudd.

Mr Abbott took a swipe at the Opposition Leader, calling him "Bill 'Shock' Shorten" and saying: "We know that he's capable of changing his mind."

"We remember what he said about Julia Gillard until quite recently. He changed his mind about her.

"Well, Bill, if you can change your mind on your colleagues you can change your mind on something of far more weight to the people of Australia."

Mr Abbott also said the carbon tax was a socialist policy in disguise.

"Let's be under no illusions the carbon tax was socialism masquerading as environmentalism," he said.

"That's what the carbon tax was."

More than 150 members attended the address and gave the Prime Minister a standing ovation as he entered the room.

Mr Abbott thanked the Tasmanian division of the Liberal Party for running a strong election race.

He says the Liberal Party did better in Tasmania, where there was an 11.7 per cent swing to the party, than anywhere else.

Mr Abbott told the room that his first 50 days in power had been a "success".

He said the Government is delivering on key election promises, such as setting up business and Indigenous advisory councils, and reigning in the cost of the National Broadband Network.

"This country is now once again as it should always be, open for business," he said.

The Prime Minister singled out the Government's asylum seeker policy in particular, saying the Coalition has achieved a significant reduction in the number of asylum seeker boats trying to reach Australia.

"I don't want to underestimate the difficulty of that challenge but they are stopping," he said.

"Over the last month, illegal arrivals by boat have been scarcely 10 per cent of the peak under Labor in July."

But Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek says the Government is creating the perception there are less boats by restricting information about their arrival.

"For the last three years they've been talking about stopping the boats - well, they've just stopped reporting the boats."

Topics: political-parties, environmental-policy, leadership, tas

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