Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Absolutely we are the government, and we use our time well in helping small business. You talk, we act. We make the decisions. We act. We help out. You sit and oppose. This is an opposition that does not know what it is going to do. For example, when we were putting through the reforms on climate change, and they had a chance to support us on the Steel Transformation Plan Bill, they said, 'We're not going to support that bill because we don't support anything in what the government is doing on climate change.' They then said, 'We don't support the mining tax,' but they managed to find support for superannuation. They leave steelworkers and the steel sector hanging , but when for their own interest they have to support something they are out there doing it. No consistency, no idea, no policy, an absolute sham—they are unable on the big issues that confront this country to get their act together to work out how they are voting. And they are led by a man who did his best Captain Snooze impersonation last night: there on the front bench asleep when the big decisions are being made.

Government members interjecting—

That is right. He is either asleep in here or he is sleeping off a bender from being in the members dining room while we are deciding what to do to save the nation as a result of the global financial crisis. We are doing a great job, because he will trawl around every place he can—

Opposition members interjecting—

You don't like it, do you? You can't sit there in silence. Listen, the heat's going to get up a little bit more! What I love is they will go anywhere here and sap confidence out of the local economy by telling everyone how bad things, then the minute that the Leader of the Opposition can get himself on a plane overseas, where no-one is watching, he tells the rest of the world how great Australia is.

Ms Rowland interjecting—

Exactly, he will not tell everyone how well we are doing here, but he will do it over there. When it comes to the big decisions to be made, we make them and then he goes and claims credit. He does not stand up for the decisions here. He does not do the right things.

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