Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

In one sense, it is a joke, but I say to Australians—to those of us who have mortgages, who have car loans, who have petrol that we have to buy to put in them, who have groceries that have to be bought, who have kids that need clothes, who are trying to put a roof over their heads—as busy as they are: have a look at the pathetic nine-minute press conference from the Treasurer last night. Australians have to trust and have faith in their government and their ministers. We are in a situation where we have a stunt driven Prime Minister who ignores the advice of the key government departments, a nervous Treasurer who is simply not across his brief, and ministers who will not trust one another—let alone their own departments. We are in a situation where this country deserves better. With petrol at $1.60 a litre and rising, Prime Minister: cut the excise; pull no more stunts—we need real leadership, we need decisive action. We will not allow everyday Australians in particular to be punished by this stunt driven government, and we will oppose FuelWatch.

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