Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Prime Minister promised $2 billion of immediate support for bushfire affected communities but months later he's spent just 10 per cent;

(b) the Prime Minister had an advertisement ready on the day he announced his bushfire response but bushfire affected communities are still waiting for support;

(c) the Prime Minister promised to "rephase and revise" his bushfire efforts but bushfire affected communities are still waiting;

(d) the Prime Minister has sought to blame the states for months for his failed response to the bushfires instead of fixing it;

(e) the Prime Minister ran an advertising campaign for the Urban Congestion Fund a year ago but still hasn't spent any money from this fund reducing urban congestion;

(f) in Question Time, the Prime Minister has repeatedly refused to provide the same straight answer the Chief of the Defence gave to the same question, and today bizarrely misled the Parliament about yesterday's non-answer; and

(g) the Prime Minister has refused to give straight answers about his role in the sports rorts scandal despite the Australian National Audit Office finding his office was directly involved even on the day the election was called;

(2) therefore, condemns this Prime Minister for always putting marketing ahead of acting in the national interest and failing to provide straight answers to simple questions; and

(3) further notes, that today in question time the Prime Minister engaged in deceptive conduct by attempting to criticise the Leader of the Opposition by tabling a document without revealing it was authorised by George Wright, the ALP National Secretary twice removed and said breaking news about Tony Abbott, the Liberal Prime Minister twice removed.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving the following motion immediately—That the House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Prime Minister promised $2 billion of immediate support for bushfire affected communities but months later he's spent just 10 per cent;

(b) the Prime Minister had an advertisement ready on the day he announced his bushfire response but bushfire affected communities are still waiting for support;

(c) the Prime Minister promised to "rephase and revise" his bushfire efforts but bushfire affected communities are still waiting;

(d) the Prime Minister has sought to blame the states for months for his failed response to the bushfires instead of fixing it;

(e) the Prime Minister ran an advertising campaign for the Urban Congestion Fund a year ago but still hasn't spent any money from this fund reducing urban congestion;

(f) in Question Time, the Prime Minister has repeatedly refused to provide the same straight answer the Chief of the Defence gave to the same question, and today bizarrely misled the Parliament about yesterday's non-answer; and

(g) the Prime Minister has refused to give straight answers about his role in the sports rorts scandal despite the Australian National Audit Office finding his office was directly involved even on the day the election was called;

(2) therefore, condemns this Prime Minister for always putting marketing ahead of acting in the national interest and failing to provide straight answers to simple questions; and

(3) further notes, that today in question time the Prime Minister engaged in deceptive conduct by attempting to criticise the Leader of the Opposition by tabling a document without revealing it was authorised by George Wright, the ALP National Secretary twice removed and said breaking news about Tony Abbott, the Liberal Prime Minister twice removed.

The fact is that this is the Humphrey B Bear of politics. You get more answers out of Humphrey—

See this speech in context