Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I certainly will, Speaker. Because of this ridiculous motion, we are not actually debating what we should be debating before this parliament. Once again, they have shut question time down because they have no issues of substance to go to. We have the hypocrisy of the person who employed David Oldfield standing up here. This bloke, when asked: do you welcome Pauline Hanson's endorsement said, 'Look, I am happy to take votes where I find them.' That is what he said on Sunrise, but he comes in here and attempts to lecture us about these issues.

The fact is that this side of the parliament wants to discuss the real issues of our plan for a stronger, fairer and smarter Australia; our plan for the economy, for manufacturing and for protecting Australian jobs; our plan for education through the Gonski reforms; our plan for the National Disability Insurance Scheme; and our plans that are being rolled through this parliament on issue after issue, day after day. Those opposite do not have a plan for the future. It is no wonder that his own colleagues see the Leader of the Opposition as a policy lightweight who cannot talk about issues because he starts off with a $70-billion black hole. All they offer are cuts and relentless negativity. We do not have to project into the future what they would stand for were they to succeed in September. We can see it with what state Tory governments are doing right around the country: sacking nurses, sacking teachers, cutting back on community services. We see their selfish position.

But today, they also don't want a debate. We could have had some debate about the economy, but of course taxes, interest rates, unemployment and inflation are all lower today than they were when they were in office.

I was looking forward to question time continuing, because I predicted that I might have got a question. I could not get one from across there and, if I had got a question, I would have been able to talk about the member for North Sydney's little trip down the Bruce Highway last week, where he was asked—

Honourable members interjecting—

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