Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In recent days we have seen the issue of gun safety regulation really highlight the divisions in the government—their dysfunction and indeed their dishonesty. This is an issue I feel very strongly about, particularly as a former police officer. I am very proud that we have very strong gun laws in this country. We should not be changing that at all. That is why the debate we have seen over the last few days is a disgrace when it comes to this government. We have seen a lot of coverage about the classification of the Adler shotgun. The fact that both the current Prime Minister and the former Prime Minister, the member for Warringah, have been prepared to trade votes for guns is very, very concerning. We saw today in question time the Prime Minister openly contradict the former Prime Minister's claims about the votes for guns scandal, and indeed, as the opposition leader said, we saw him really throw him under a bus. We should all be very, very worried that the Prime Minister has been caught out trying to do this deal. It is a real concern. Also, these changes that we have had the government talking about are really being pushed along by our friends in the National Party. Every day one of them comes out spruiking these changes, wanting this to happen.

Of course, we know that there is a COAG meeting on tomorrow and we are all waiting very eagerly to see exactly what the government does, because it really is an absurd situation that they are in. We would really like to know where the Prime Minister stands, because we really see him all over the shop, so weak and dithering on so many issues. We have seen him change his position on super; we have seen him refuse to take effective action on climate change or marriage equality; and now, possibly, gun laws. We just see him walking away from so many different positions all the time, and it really does reflect his weakness.

So we have all this dysfunction happening, but while this dysfunction is happening the government has managed to continue with their very harsh and cruel cuts to the Australian people, particularly their cuts to services, and especially those shameful cuts to services to people in regional areas, which, as I said, we blame the National Party for. The fact is that we have a government that is completely dysfunctional, a government that has no unity at all; a government that is at war with itself over so many issues, which they should be constantly condemned for. None of their speakers have been able to defend the government because they cannot defend it. (Time expired)

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