Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I must say that I was a bit perplexed when I read the title for this MPI—the Prime Minister's year of underachievement. It had me scratching my head. Then I thought, 'Let's look at this from a Labor perspective. Maybe from a Labor perspective we can understand why they have come up with this MPI title.' If you were the Leader of the Opposition you would be thinking to yourself: has anyone been knifed this year? No-one has been knifed so that is an underachievement. Have we had a leadership challenge? No. Another underachievement.

Have we had a game of musical chairs with ministerial portfolios and parliamentary secretaries? No, we have not. So I suppose that is another under achievement. Look at it from the perspective of the Leader of the Opposition. When he was in government, what did he expect, coming up to Christmas. He started off as Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation in 2010. His 2011 Christmas present was the employment and workplace relations portfolio. But 2012 was a bit of a sad Christmas for him because there was no change. But what a year 2013 was! First he became Minister for Education in just enough time to cut $1.2 billion out of education funding. Then he got the top job; it was a good year. The knife went in and it was successful. He became the top person in the Labor ranks.

So if achievement is knifing, we have underachieved. In the area of portfolio changes we have underachieved. What about debt? I suppose you could look at it from a Labor perspective. Labor presided over the fastest deterioration of our debt position in modern history. What have we done? We have tried to repair that. We have tried to restore it. Let's go on. Let's look at free trade agreements. What did Labor do? What was Labor's record of achievement there?

A government member: Lots of trips.

There were lots of trips. I just cannot remember, though, an FTA with Japan. I cannot remember one with South Korea. I cannot remember one with China. I suppose we have underachieved because we have actually got free trade agreements.

Government members interjecting—

I think they probably tried with Norfolk Island but they probably failed there too.

When it comes to immigration, what happened there? Thankfully, there have been no deaths at sea. Thankfully, the boats have stopped. So, when you start to look at it through the Labor prism, you can see why they would say that this has been a year of underachievement.

See this speech in context