Lazarus heckled during first Senate speech

Rugby league great, now senator Glenn Lazarus has been heckled by a member of the public during his first speech to parliament.

A day after being sworn in, the Palmer United Party Senate leader on Tuesday rose to his feet to become the first incoming crossbench senator to speak in the upper house.

Senator Lazarus made it clear he wasn't rising for his maiden speech, before outlining his party's support for scrapping the carbon tax.

But it didn't all go smoothly for the new senator, with someone in the public gallery heckling him as he called for the carbon tax to go.

The Senate president warned the gallery that anyone interrupting again would be thrown out.

The PUP will support the repeal of the carbon tax only if the Abbott government guarantees in legislation that savings on energy bills will be passed onto households and businesses.

"There is no justification for a carbon price," Senator Lazarus told the chamber.

"Removal of the carbon tax inclusive of our amendment will help to stimulate the economy, create much needed jobs and to help to reduce the financial hardships being endured by Australian families."

Government Senate Leader Eric Abetz approached the cross bencher after his speech to shake hands, before Mr Palmer congratulated his Senate representative.

He was heckled briefly again, but parliamentary security didn't intervene.

Senator Lazarus said climate change was a global problem, but Australia could not act alone with a carbon tax that placed pressure on jobs and manufacturing.

PUP wants an emissions trading scheme to be established but on the premise it only becomes effective once Australia's major trading partners take similar action.

After a false start, debate on the carbon tax repeal got underway a week early on Monday with the government keen to abolish the Labor scheme as quickly as possible.