Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Trade and Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

You know who was the stunt? The Prime Minister was the stunt, sending that letter to Premier Bracks and—again, without any warning—pulling the plug, saying the government were going to act unilaterally, just as they pulled the plug on Tasmania in its consideration of where public hospitals go, just as they are intervening in local government in Queensland and just as they have intervened in Eden-Monaro to prop up the member against a decision taken legitimately by the New South Wales government.

This is a government out of control. This is a government abusing the states, picking a fight with the states at every opportunity, because it cannot get its own house in order. It is not getting this House in order; it is treating this House with contempt. This motion is just the latest manifestation of it, Mr Speaker. This is a disgrace and the Labor Party opposes it. No wonder this government is such a rabble. No wonder it is getting internal—

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