Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Hansard source

Carlton Blues, Parliamentary Secretary—the mighty Carlton Blues, that is. The Assistant Treasurer, who did dub this Treasurer 'the greatest Treasurer' in his speech a short time before, is the weakest person in this parliament. This is a person who operates only ever behind closed doors, in a faceless manner with a sharp knife. This is the Assistant Treasurer who told the former Prime Minister before the election that he had his full support only to knife him—so much so they had to replace all the carpets in the ministerial wing, as reported in the Daily Telegraph this week.

This Assistant Treasurer is the most weak, heartless man. He can never do it to someone's face. He comes in here and backs up his Treasurer, but he runs around every single boardroom in this country and tells them that he wants his job. He wants his job and then he wants the Prime Minister's job. The Assistant Treasurer has all ambition and no ability. He gave an appalling MPI speech in support of his Treasurer, and we all know why. We hear this from all the corporates in this country who say to us that the Assistant Treasurer rolls up to their boardrooms and says, 'Swanny's not up to it; I'm going to be there shortly.'

There are some reasons for the Assistant Treasurer to say those sorts of things, because this Treasurer is clearly incompetent. We saw that this week in question time. He is a man who has in the past suffered terrible accusations being made about him on issues in which he has been involved, including I note the shadow minister for innovation, industry and science earlier in the week referring to a bagman. That refers to allegations that there was money passed in an election campaign.

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