Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Warringah moving immediately—That this House calls on the Prime Minister to explain why the Government rejected the recommended candidate to chair the Future Fund and to explain further why the Government:

(1) didn’t run a competent selection process; and

(2) hasn’t been honest about the choice of leadership for the Future Fund which is charged with the responsibility of managing $70 billion of taxpayer funds.

Standing orders must be suspended because, when it comes to the appointment of the Future Fund chairman, this government has been incompetent in managing it and dishonest in explaining it. The Future Fund is $70 billion worth of taxpayers' money, which should be treated as a sacred trust. Instead, so typically, we have had a Prime Minister looking shifty and evasive, looking angry and shrill in this parliament. Standing orders must be suspended, because this Prime Minister owes the country an explanation. She owes the country an explanation as to why the person she has appointed to chair the Future Fund does not think he is the person for the job. That is the truth, Mr Speaker. That is why standing orders should be suspended. She has just appointed to chair the Future Fund someone who says, 'I'm not the best person for the job.' What a classic example of incompetence and dishonesty from this government.

Standing orders must be suspended, because David Gonski, a distinguished and respected businessman, advised that Peter Costello was the clear preference of the Future Fund Board of Guardians for the chairmanship. David Gonski told the government that Peter Costello should be appointed. That was his clear recommendation. The government rejected the recommendation because, while he might have been economically competent, as far as they were concerned Peter Costello was not politically correct. They chose their version of political correctness ahead of clear economic competence. That is why standing orders should be suspended: because the government always chooses good politics over good economics. It is one of the reasons why they are so on the nose with the general public.

Standing orders should be suspended, because this government, yet again, has been dishonest in its explanations of this matter. What else can we expect from a government which never tells the truth when it would be more convenient to lie.

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