Labor, Greens in Senate reject government's first carbon tax repeal bill Tony Abbott has called on the Senate to do the 'right thing' and vote to scrap the carbon and mining taxes. Sees first carbon tax repeal bill defeated by Labor and The Greens ... Finance Minister Mathias Cormann on Channel Ten's Meet The Press program. THE Senate has rejected the first of the government's carbon tax repeal bills with Labor and the Greens combining to vote it down. Parliament's upper house voted 38 to 29 against further debate on a bill to scrap the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation, effectively defeating the legislation. It was the first of the package of 11 bills to repeal the carbon tax, in line with a coalition election promise. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said abolition of the corporation was a priority for the government and a commitment Prime Minister Tony Abbott took to the September 7 election. The government had the strong support of voters who rejected Labor at the poll, he said. Labor takes the position they have flagged in this chamber today at their peril. But Senator Cormann said scrapping the CEFC would save money because the corporation had to raise funds at public debt borrowing rates, which Labor senators had ignored. Labor senators condemned the move to abolish the CEFC, saying it would hurt the government's ability to reach its emissions reduction targets. Labor colleague Ursula Stephens said the coalition was taking a "very important, potent policy tool" away from its direct action plan. The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (Abolition) Bill 2013 cannot be reintroduced for three months. If it is rejected a second time, the government will have a double-dissolution trigger.