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

I raise this point, Madam Speaker, about the stability of the teams because this side of the House is prepared to deal with business as it was listed for today. I refer to the Daily Program. Nowhere on this daily notice is item No. 11 even referred to—nowhere at all. But it now makes its way off the Notice Paper right down the order. I know that the batting order of this government on their front bench has now been completely depleted, but now they are reaching down the order of the Notice Paper to try and drag things up to pursue the continued agenda of the previous Prime Minister and the continuing Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. I suspect that minister has a bit of explaining to do to the new Prime Minister, but I will allow him to do that in his own time. Maybe that minister will be the same one and will continue to babysit the border failures that he inherited from his predecessor, who is now Treasurer. Maybe that will continue to be his job. But that is the thing with this government: the uncertainty regarding the agenda today and the uncertainty reigning along the ranks of this government, who do not know whether they are Arthur or Martha, or whether they are in a job or out of a job, or what they are doing, or what they are going to talk about.

The government have not only lost their way but lost the plot. They have completely and utterly lost the plot. They have lost control of its agenda, they have lost control of the borders and they have lost control of themselves. That is on display.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

It is on display as the minister at the table, now Deputy Prime Minister, tries to interject and further interrupt this debate for one purpose, and that is to try and ensure that he can continue to throw his weight around this place, now wearing the Deputy Prime Minister's title, and bring this matter up for debate in this House today. This bill that the government seeks to bring forward today is all about one thing, and that is continuing to pay off the unions for their support. The unions supported the last Prime Minister, and whatever deal they did with the member for Maribyrnong, the kingslayer last night, the government will honour that deal here in this place as they vote today.

Debate interrupted.

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