Angry scenes were sparked in Crown St Mall yesterday when an anti-carbon tax rally by Coalition firebrands Barnaby Joyce and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells was outnumbered by supporters of the carbon price.With hecklers, placards and two of the Coalition's most unpredictable figures, a quiet lunchtime became a theatre of old-fashioned political argy-bargy, with few of the players lacking the voice to make themselves heard.Before the visitors even made it to the amphitheatre stage, they were bailed up by South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris, who told Senator Joyce he should face workers at Port Kembla and tell them why he won't back Labor's $300 million steel industry assistance plan.
SLIDESHOW: Mall clashesOnce they took the stage, Sen Joyce, a Queenslander, and Sen Fierravanti-Wells, from Port Kembla, were drowned out by anti-Coalition protesters and Greens activists telling them to go home.Sen Fierravanti-Wells gave it back to the crowd, shouting "you should be ashamed of yourselves" and telling unionists to oppose the tax.Sen Joyce had asked supporters to bring placards to the rally, but the handful of Coalition posters and about 30 supporters were no match for almost double that against him.Several times his speech was drowned out by former SCLC secretary Paul Matters, who was chanting "no carbon tax" and clashed with Australian Workers Union organisers Boris Baraldi and David Hancock, as well as Mr Rorris, shouting that they were selling out Illawarra workers.They told Mr Matters his support of Sen Joyce's point meant he belonged in the Liberal Party.Before long, Sen Joyce had shown he was up for some sparring and his humour had some opponents listening as he told them the carbon tax meant the Gillard government would be charging people at every stage of the day."You put on the kettle, she's in the cup of tea with you," he said."You turn on the electric blanket, she's there with you as well."Sen Joyce said the Illawarra could stop the carbon tax if local Labor members Stephen Jones and Sharon Bird crossed the floor and voted against it.Former Liberal state candidates John Dorahy and Michelle Blicavs gave speeches but could barely be heard over the crowd. Mr Dorahy told the throng that "carbon dioxide, which this tax is all about, is the lifeblood of our future".After the speeches, Sen Joyce held an impromptu media conference but would not answer questions about the steel assistance plan, or whether BlueScope may actually be better off after it receives 60 per cent of the $180 million.Sen Joyce's supporters queued to meet him, with several thanking him for taking a stand against the carbon price.
