The Nationals Senator for New South Wales John Williams says Prime Minister Gillard has finally owned up to misleading the Australian people on carbon tax, but no apology will wash with the electorate.

Senator Williams said the Prime Minister’s claim that she didn’t mean to mislead people before last year’s election should be viewed with cynicism.

He said she made the statement “there will be no carbon tax under any government I lead” in the hope of gaining favour at the ballot box.

“Her words were emphatic and categorical. How can she now plead forgiveness that she really didn’t mean it?

The Prime Minister, a year after knifing her predecessor , has seen her government lurch from one crisis to another, and the polls have gone south.

It’s too late to say ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it’. The Australian people don’t trust this government and have stopped listening”, Senator Williams said.