Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We return today to the chamber in a post Super Saturday world. The Prime Minister's words are ringing in my ears. He said that he would look very seriously and thoughtfully, and humbly, at the way in which voters responded to what the government put forward during the by-elections. With real concern, I hope that this Prime Minister is thinking about the compact on multiculturalism that he breached in his extraordinary intervention not only on New Year's Day but since, which singles out the South Sudanese community in Melbourne for approbation. I hope that he is thinking about the climate change denial people that he has been cosying up to in the One Nation party. I hope that he's thinking about his dismissal, out of hand, of the reconciliation process, of the Uluru statement and the recommendations around an Indigenous voice.

I hope this Prime Minister is thinking seriously about these things, and I hope this Prime Minister is prepared, as John Howard was prepared to do, to make a statement in this chamber about putting One Nation last at the next federal election. I hope this Prime Minister has learnt his lessons. I hope he understands that the Australian people want to see $17 billion spent on schools and hospitals and not in big business tax cuts and money for the banks. Let the Prime Minister come in here today and tell us he's really learnt his lessons. (Time expired)

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