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

Momentous events have taken place. This parliament, over the last 24 hours, has witnessed some dramatic events. A Prime Minister has been dragged down for the second time in three years, and one-third of the cabinet has resigned. I say that the people of Australia and this parliament deserve a full explanation as to why that was deemed necessary by the current Prime Minister. But what we have had is not a word, not a skerrick of the explanation that the people of Australia are owed. The now Prime Minister has given no interviews, he has held no press conference and he answered no questions whatsoever on this subject in the parliament in question time today. And the man who has been plotting for three years, for three long years, to bring down his predecessor as prime minister is now saying: 'Nothing to see here, nothing to see here. Move on, move on. Nothing to see.' Like St Francis of Assisi, the Prime Minister is innocent of this blood on his hands. Like Pontius Pilate, the Prime Minister is washing the blood off his hands.

Well, it is just not good enough. If the economy is as good as the Prime Minister claimed in question time today, why do we no longer have the Treasurer who was managing it? If the government and the country is in as good shape as the Prime Minister claimed in question time today, why was it absolutely necessary to drag down the Prime Minister who has led the government for three years and three days? The Prime Minister owes the country and he owes the parliament an explanation.

He obviously has not forgotten the events of three years and three days ago. The people have not forgotten the intervening period. We know how this government has struggled from division to disaster, and the Prime Minister needs to explain why it is that he felt it necessary to drag down this country's first female prime minister. Why was it necessary to do this? He owes us an answer, and I trust, I so trust, that he will come into this parliament and respond to the MPI today and give us the answers that this parliament and the people of Australia deserve. And if he does not, I trust that he will not be able to go anywhere in this country without the media subjecting him to the questioning that he deserves to face on this subject.

The truth is that after the events of last night, this Prime Minister's hands are just as dirty as those of his predecessor—that is the truth—but at least his predecessor had the decency, the honour and the courage to offer an explanation. It was not a very good explanation. She said back then, on 24 June, that a good government had lost its way. We know it was not true. We know it was a bad government that lost its way, because she subsequently told us. Why won't this Prime Minister at least have the honour that his predecessor had and offer an explanation to the Australian people? It is not too much to ask. Twenty-four hours ago we had one Prime Minister, now we have a different Prime Minister. Why has this been done? He owes us an explanation.

And while he is going about it, on behalf of the Australian people I pose two questions to the incoming Prime Minister. First, and most importantly, when will the election be?

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