People power will drive message: McCormack

Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has praised the passion and commitment of the 5000 or so people who protested against the Labor Governments planned carbon tax at Parliament House in Canberra today.

"They turned up en masse to send a message to the Government that a carbon tax is unfair and unnecessary," said Mr McCormack who addressed the rally.

"This tax is going to hurt regional Australians more than anyone and is an unjust financial slug to hard working Australians and families battling as it is to make ends meet."

Mr McCormack told the rally a carbon tax will serve only to force up the prices of groceries prices, fuel, electricity as well as sending thousands of Australian jobs offshore.

"How can the Government justify this tax when Julia Gillard told the people of Australia, just the day before the August 21 election that there would be no carbon tax in a Government she led?

Mr McCormack said he was proud so many people from the Riverina attended the rally and came up to him afterwards to express their support to the Coalition's opposition to the carbon tax.

"I have received so many calls and emails from people who do not want this tax and quite rightly say it will not do a single bit of good for the environment," Mr McCormack said.

"We all want a cleaner greener world and there are ways of doing it by investing in research and development not by imposing yet another tax on Mr and Mrs Average.

Mr McCormack said the last time he had seen so many people standing up for what they believed was the Murray-Darling Basin Authority water rally at Griffith on October 14.

"People power is helping drive a better outcome in water and people power will hopefully drive a message home to this Government that a carbon tax is unfair and unnecessary."

Cristy Houghton