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

He chose the timing perfectly to announce this backflip. When Mr Turnbull, the Leader of the Opposition, was on his feet outside the doors, the member for Dickson scurried to do a press conference to announce that the Liberal Party was now, finally, going to support our alcopops measure. We congratulate you for being prepared now, at last, to support his sensible measure. We congratulate you for the very clever timing of this—to detract from this embarrassing humiliation for the member for Dickson.

What was interesting in his press conference announcing this was that the member for Dickson did try to say that the Liberal Party was supporting this measure but, on questioning from journalists, could not actually guarantee that was how all of his coalition members would vote. There is such a mess opposite at the moment that it was impossible, apparently, for the shadow minister to make any commitment about how his colleagues in the Liberal Party and in the National Party were actually going to vote.

But I would like to congratulate the opposition for finally seeing the merit in this measure—720,000 fewer standard drinks per week as a result of this measure is something that is having a positive health impact. It is a shame it took them so long to wake up to this reality, but we will welcome their vote for it when the matter is debated later today.

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