Andrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My apologies, Deputy Speaker. It just goes to show that both the government and the opposition have, indeed, been forced to come in here most reluctantly—totally against what they would rather be doing right now. They do not have their hearts in it. If Labor had their hearts in it, they would have acted on this years ago. If the government had their hearts in it, they would have acted on the 36 recommendations a year ago. They do not have their hearts in it. They do not care about this. They will keep working together to diminish reform in this area—because, quite frankly, too many of them have got their snouts in the trough. We see it all the time: members of parliament gallivanting all around the country, maybe meeting some colleague in their office for 20 minutes and then spending a weekend in that town, probably with their partner and having a lovely old time, and racking up thousands of dollars of bills on the taxpayer. That is theft and that should be a reason for the Federal Police to be called in.

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