The storyline that the carbon tax is a victory for the all-powerful, job-hating Greens over the hapless Labor government has become so pervasive it pays to remember that it's just that, a story.

On Tuesday, as the carbon pricing bills passed the Senate, it was a tale with many, many tellers. Liberal senator Mathias Cormann, for example: ''Of course, the Greens today will be celebrating because they have been able to suck the Australian Labor Party into their policy.''

Or Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce, across the chamber to Labor senators: ''You have decided to walk away from faith, family and the Labor Party in order to allow the Australian Greens to run the agenda.''

Or Liberal Senate leader Eric Abetz: ''The once great Labor Party has sold its policy soul to the Greens for the sake of staying in power … What we are witnessing is the Greens tail wagging the Labor dog.''

Or Liberal senator Michael Ronaldson: ''You have to congratulate senator Bob Brown. He has … led the Labor Party into oblivion. I have never seen anything like it. I have never seen a person who has totally different views from the blue-collar workers of Australia being able to swing a whole party, like a bunch of lemmings going over the cliff. You have to congratulate Senator Brown. He has captured the Labor Party.''