Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

and that is why standing orders must be suspended—because the truth is slowly and painfully being revealed by the Prime Minister's own colleagues. It is becoming obvious to all that the Prime Minister was up to her eyeballs in the coup to remove the former Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister should simply come into this House and tell the truth. What was her role in the removal of the Prime Minister? Did she know about the polling? She was handing it around. Did she know about the speech? The ambassador in Washington knew and the US Secretary of State knew.

We know that the member for Denison holds in his hands a signed contract with the Prime Minister, the contract which supported the formation of this minority government and allowed this Prime Minister to remain in office. That contract turned to dust with no apology for the monumental deception played upon the member for Denison—and that is why standing orders must be suspended. The Prime Minister led the member for Denison on for months. And then there was the most blatant betrayal of the Australian people—the promise that there would be no carbon tax under a government she led.

These events are themselves serious enough to warrant a suspension of standing orders, a condemnation and censure, but of equal or greater concern is that the Prime Minister believes it is proper conduct to seek to mislead the Australian people with her improbable, implausible, disingenuous, unbelievable explanations and excuses. The devious conduct and personal behaviour of this Prime Minister calls into question her fitness to hold office. (Time expired)

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