Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I find it absolutely hypocritical that the government of the day expects members of the parliament to be sitting here and expressing their views, their thoughts and their comments and putting together words of wisdom on behalf of their constituencies, and yet, because the members opposite do not like what we are saying, they stand up on a point of order. Talk about hypocrisy! The Prime Minister of the day is not even in the parliament. This motion goes to democracy and to the capacity of members of the parliament to question the executive, to question the Prime Minister—and he cannot even find it within himself to be here. I am more than happy to be here. I am more than happy to sit here on a Saturday, on a Sunday or on any day of the week, but I find it very, very odd that the Prime Minister is not here. I might have a question to ask him. I might have a question to ask him on behalf of the Ryan electorate. I was, after all, duly elected by the people of Ryan.

See this speech in context