Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has dismissed Labor stalwart Bob Hawke's support of the carbon tax, saying he is "as dishonest" as Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Mr Hawke today joined Ms Gillard to launch a report into how climate change would affect Kakadu National Park.

He said Mr Abbott was "as mad as a cut snake" over his opposition to the carbon tax.

But the Opposition Leader hit back during Question Time, saying both Ms Gillard and Mr Hawke have been caught lying to the public.

"When we're talking about Bob Hawke, Julia Gillard's commitment that 'there would be no carbon under the government I lead' was as honest a statement as the former prime minister Bob Hawke's that by 1990 no Australian child would be living in poverty," he said.

"Two Labor prime ministers, two dishonest Labor prime ministers."

Mr Abbott also argued there was nervousness in the Government's back bench about the impact of a carbon price on manufacturing jobs.

He moved a motion to suspend Question Time in order to make Ms Gillard answer questions about whether she was abandoning the industry by planning to bring in a carbon tax.

Mr Abbott highlighted a number of Labor electorates with heavy industry that he says would be hit by the carbon plan.

The attempt to bring a censure motion failed as the crossbenchers voted with the Government.

Ms Gillard earlier accused Mr Abbott of running an irresponsible scare campaign and of faking concern for workers.

"He would have opposed WorkChoices if he was genuinely interested in job security," she said.

"This is a scare campaign that really is all about his political profits.

"There's not one bone in his body that is concerned in any way about the prospects of the working people in those businesses he's named."