The Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon is fooling no-one with his bravado over the Labor-Greens alliance carbon tax, according to the Nationals Duty Senator for Hunter John Williams.

Mr. Fitzgibbon claims coalminers know the best way to make themselves sustainable is to start a structural shift in the economy, but he obviously is not listening to his electorate.

Senator Williams said a poll in the Newcastle Herald asking the question "Do you support Prime Minister Julia Gillard's proposed carbon tax" attracted 421 respondents of which 73.6% said NO.

Additionally in another Newcastle Herald based poll, readers were asked "Do you accept that we need to put a price on carbon to tackle climate change?". This poll attracted 4,413 responses with 73.5 percent saying NO.

Mr. Fitzgibbon claims there has been a big change of attitudes in his electorate, but the figures don’t back his claim.

"Tell that to the coal industry employees and their families. The coal industry is warning mines will close, jobs will be lost and investment will shift overseas unless there is adequate compensation, but the Greens are dead against supporting what they call the big polluters.

A carbon tax will increase prices of basic needs such as electricity and fuel, but not reduce one bit the carbon emissions it is supposed to fix.

This is the bind Mr. Fitzgibbon and every Labor member is in. They are trying to sell a carbon tax for which there are no details and which is really a Greens policy.

Perhaps Mr. Fitzgibbon should drop the party line, get around his electorate and hear the views of his constituents who will be reaching deeper into their pockets to pay for Labor's latest tax", Senator Williams said.