Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister is now just the great national disappointment. People thought they were going to get the next John Howard. It turns out that all they've got is the , wow sales guy from Danoz Direct. Behind every pitch he makes you know there is absolutely nothing. When that is all you have to work with you do not like questioning. This guy certainly does not like being asked questions. Indeed, he takes absolute offence that there are people in this country who have a right to ask him questions. When they ask him a difficult one, you will never get a straight answer.

During the recent bushfire crisis, from Bilpin to Mallacoota to Cobargo, when what we needed from our national leader was empathy, all we got from this Prime Minister was an aloof arrogance combined with smoke and mirrors. He sets up a $2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Agency and fund. It turns out that all that is is one person sitting at a desk in the Department of PM&C with a notional budget. And don't for a second think that he believes there is anything useful that we have to add. During last year, when the economy was flatlining, we said, 'Bring forward tax cuts; bring forward some of the infrastructure measures.' But he said, 'Don't worry—we have it all in hand, back in the black.' They're not so sure now! We don't see a lot of those Liberals carting 'back in the black' mugs now. (Time expired)

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