Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Of course, the government will be opposing the suspension motion. Fancy the member for Curtin coming to the dispatch box and beginning her contribution by talking about the principle of ministerial responsibility! Many of us sat on the opposition side for 11½ long years watching the Howard government become perfect at avoiding ministerial accountability. They talk about standards of defence ministers. This is the party of John Moore. Remember him, Mr Speaker? He used to come to the dispatch box when asked questions like this and simply say, ‘The government’s position is well known.’ Then, of course, there was former Minister Reith, the master of deception in the avoidance of ministerial accountability. We all remember only too well ‘children overboard’ and the way former Minister Reith sought to politicise the men and women of the Australian Defence Force for his party’s own political gain. Of course, some have not been too bad. There is former Minister Nelson, who appeared on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald this morning having a bit to say about the challenges of managing the defence portfolio. I know he knows them well. He was no doubt prompted to do so at this time, somewhat concerned about the way in which his own party has sought to deliberately politicise some of the most elite soldiers in our country.

I was surprised when the Leader of the Opposition came to the dispatch box to move a suspension. I thought he was coming to the dispatch box to table the pay slip that he has been relying upon all week to launch this jihad on me—and yet, as I have told the House, it was a pay slip which he misrepresented for his own political gain.

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