Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

We have been showing it to them for five months but still the member for Dickson cannot make up his mind what he wants to do, because he is getting instructions from outside the parliament. He does not want to change his mind, along with the Leader of the Opposition. They do not want to do something sensible so they are still pretending that they need more information. But I am not sure what more we can possibly give them.

Ultimately, we cannot solve their internal problems. If they go to their party room meeting and come out again with no decision, all we gather from that is that they are impossibly divided on this and every other issue. But now is the time to stop ignoring the 80 per cent of the public who want action taken and to stop ignoring that this measure is working: a 35 per cent drops in alcopops, an eight per cent drop in overall spirits and a half a per cent drop in all consumption of alcohol. It is time to clarify where you stand and it is time for the backbench to decide whether they are going to support the Leader of the Opposition or the member for Dickson.

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