(now let’s have a substantive survey)

The Nationals Duty Senator for New England John Williams today called on the Member for New England Tony Windsor to seek the views of his constituents on the carbon tax.

Senator Williams said Mr. Windsor has now confirmed the electorate’s worst-kept secret that he will  impose a carbon tax on the Australian people,

He said Mr. Windsor was happy to survey the electorate on same sex marriage, poker machine reforms and voluntary euthanasia, but inexplicably neglected to include carbon tax.

Now is his opportunity to correct this oversight.

“The government is drip-feeding details to Australians, obviously too frightened to release the bad news yet. With the full agreement to be released on Sunday after parliament has risen for the winter break, I hope Mr. Windsor is ready to conduct an electorate-wide survey just like he challenged a Minister to do on the sale of Telstra in 2003.

At that time Mr. Windsor said “that’s what democracy is all about – finding out what the people want and representing their views in Parliament”.

I challenge him to now do the same and let the people of New England have their say on a tax that he has formulated in association with Labor and the Greens”, Senator Williams said.