By chief political correspondent Emma Griffiths
Updated February 08, 2012 17:36:11
Photo: Julia Gillard is touting her "new economy" initiatives. (file photo) (AAP)
Related Story: Gillard returns fire to Abbott's Dirty Harry jibe
Related Story: Swan v Hockey on economy
Related Story: Banks tipped to raise interest rates
Related Story: Abbott challenges Gillard to 'make my day'
Julia Gillard has raised the pitch of her attack on the Opposition over economic management, accusing Tony Abbott of being reckless and using "disgusting" tactics by linking possible job losses with the carbon tax.
The Prime Minister told Parliament that Mr Abbott was "making up reasons" why jobs could be lost after he claimed hundreds of jobs at risk at Alcoa's aluminium smelter near Geelong could be saved if there was no carbon tax.
The company says the price on carbon would be an additional cost but its decision to review the plant's operations has not been prompted by the scheme.
"What sort of people would use the distress of working people on hearing about job losses for their own political ends?" Ms Gillard said.
"What sort of people would do that? But we saw that done by the Opposition this morning.
"Every time the Leader of the Opposition hears about job losses, he works out how he can use it to his political advantage just like he did this morning with Alcoa.
"A disgusting approach to the time that working people are in need and under pressure. A disgusting approach."
Ms Gillard spent the morning meeting union representatives and workers from the car industry and announcing two new satellites for the National Broadband Network.
The Prime Minister sought to contrast her "new economy" initiatives with Mr Abbott's intentions to cut $500 million from government subsidies to the car industry and to cancel plans for the NBN.
She said if Mr Abbott won power he would set about "destroying the Australian economy".
"The Leader of the Opposition stands for doing the dirty on the car industry and ending car-making jobs," she said.
"The Opposition is robbing this industry of certainty and therefore robbing these workers of jobs."
Car workers were watching from the public gallery in Parliament at the time.
"I'd invite the Opposition to turn around and look into the eyes of those workers whose jobs they are setting out to destroy," Ms Gillard said.
The Government's attacks continued with Treasurer Wayne Swan forced to withdraw a description of Mr Abbott, the shadow treasurer and the Opposition finance spokesman as "the three stooges of Opposition economic policy".
'Lady Macbeth'
The Opposition struck back with a series of questions about the angry protest on Australia Day and the involvement of the Prime Minister's office.
Manager of Opposition business Christopher Pyne called on Ms Gillard to give a full account of the incident, saying she should answer the charge that a "culture of dirty tricks" exists in her office.
"We know that this Prime Minister would walk on a million corpses to become a Cabinet minister," he said.
"We know she would despatch a prime minister of her own party to gain the office of prime minister."
"Comparing her to Lady Macbeth is unfair on Lady Macbeth. She only had one victim to her name. This Prime Minister has a list of victims longer than Richard III."
Ms Gillard said the "stream of abuse" was an attempt by the Opposition to divert attention from its own problems.
"They were determined to do anything today to distract from the real debate before our nation ... about the economy, about jobs," she said.
Her press secretary, Tony Hodges, has since resigned for disclosing the whereabouts of the Opposition leader Tony Abbott on Australia Day.
NBN satellites
This morning, Ms Gillard announced a $620 million deal for two satellites from the company building the NBN.
The satellites, to be built by US-based company Loral, will be launched in 2015 and will provide broadband coverage to about 200,000 homes and businesses based in the most remote parts of Australia.
The satellites will deliver download speeds of 12 megabits per second which the Government says is faster than most cities can currently receive.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says the deal will help "bridge the digital divide".
"The satellite service that this announcement covers will see a quantum, a leap in service for the most remotest communities," he said.
The Prime Minister again pointed to Mr Abbott's plans to scrap the NBN if he wins the next election.
"What we will see if he is prime minister is the end of the car industry; what we will see if he's prime minister is the ripping of the fibre out of the ground and Australia falling behind the standards of the world on this technology."
Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull says there is no need for the new satellites.
"There is more than enough capacity on existing satellites and satellites that are scheduled to be launched already," he said.
First posted February 08, 2012 14:17:16
Gillard turns up heat in debate over economy - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
