Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

I was in the process of saying that we are supporting this bill.

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

It was in my first statement. If the minister at the table actually paid attention to the proceedings of the parliament, he would be very well aware that I was actually supporting his own bill. Finally, the minister has the adulation the government so often seeks from the opp­osition. My commentary was simply to make the point that where the government heads in the right direction it will get support from the opposition.

The government is very sensitive on this point. If it wants to raise points of order here on a Thursday morning, when the opposition is in the process of supporting one of its own pieces of legislation, and is so sensitive about comments from the opposition, then I suppose that suggests the level of sensitivity there is in the government. I can appreciate why the government would be so sensitive today. Fundamental Injustice Day mark 2 is on its way, and I can understand that the government feels very sensitive about these matters.

We are happy to support this bill today, because, for once, the government is following the good direction laid down by the previous government. If it would only do that more often then it would get the adulation it so constantly craves from the opposition. If the government would like to take up the role of the opposition, in which it thinks it could do a better job, I am sure the Australian people would be happy to provide that opportunity at the earliest opportunity. We would be happy to give the Australian people the opportunity to let the government get into opposition as quickly as they can, because the Australian people have had enough of this government and they urgently seek and demand an election to ensure that we can return to the path of good policy.

To the extent that this bill heads in that direction, it has the coalition's support. As a result, we support the passage of this bill, and I commend the bill to the House. I know those members opposite are feeling very sensitive today. They are feeling very touchy. They are very mindful of the events that took place a year ago. I am sure they will get through the day, but they might want to try to keep their seats and not express their oversensitivity too much, because they can expect a little more treatment on the topic as the day proceeds.

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