Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. This Liberal civil war is so confusing and distracting, isn't it?

This was going to be the week. This was to be the Prime Minister's moment in the sun. You can just picture him on Sunday, all those long, 96 hours ago. He was back in the Lodge, luggage in the luggage lift, out there checking the letterbox to see if there was a postcard from Wyatt Roy—'Wish you were here.' 'No, you don't!'

Then we had the artful Arthur, Senator Sinodinos, popping his head around: 'Great news from the front, sire! We've had a win in the ACT.' 'Really?'—he heads out of the luggage lift—'What is the news? Did we win?' the Prime Minister says. 'Oh, no, no, no. It's much better than that! There's going to be some new trams to take selfies on!'

Then, of course, there is the friendly lunch with the focus group. What is on the menu? I would like to tell you but we found out in estimates this week that the Prime Minister's meals are classified. Who would have thought it was truffles with a sauce of national security?

Anyway, he is laying out the orange tie, ready for the renaissance week, the marquee week. A government was going to finally put to rest its reputation for dithering, disunity and dysfunction. He was the real Prime Minister—no more weakness, no more indecision. It was a new dawn, the third coming of Malcolm. But four days later where are we back to?

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