Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

[by video link] Can you think of a more abject failure of political leadership in living memory? Laura Tingle asked this question in the Australian Financial Review last week. I know what my answer is: a resounding no. I cannot think of a bigger failure of leadership than the Morrison government. There are dozens of examples of the Prime Minister running away from his responsibilities. His first reaction to any problem created by his government is to deny it exists, and then detract and deflect. Eventually, if there is enough pressure applied, he will admit the problem but then shift the blame to someone else. When he acts, it is always too late. This has become a pattern of behaviour we all recognise. He said, 'I don't hold a hose, mate.' It's so obvious and blatant that it's eroding the public's trust in government. Importantly, it is also eroding the government's capacity to do what is in the best interests of Australians and the future of our nation. Whether it's climate change, robodebt, aged care, car park rorts and sports rorts, or our pandemic response, he never shows leadership—just more spin.

Australia deserves better than this. Now more than ever, as we recover from this pandemic, we need strong leadership and a vision that is not just about winning the next election but is about what is good for individuals, families, small business and the environment. The Prime Minister is trying to claim credit for Australia's roadmap out of the pandemic as we begin opening up, but we all know it is his fault that millions of Australians have had to endure repeated lockdowns for almost two years. As a Victorian, I know just how tough it has been for everyone to endure lockdowns, let alone hearing the Prime Minister for New South Wales and his Treasurer constantly undermining the extraordinary efforts of Victorians. It was blatantly obvious to all of us that the Prime Minister prioritised New South Wales when hundreds and thousands of vaccines were diverted there ahead of Victoria, which has waited too long for adequate vaccine supply.

Then there's his woeful eight years of inaction on climate change. This is one of the Prime Minister's biggest failures and Australia's great shame. After years of talking down renewables and spruiking coal, he now claims he wants to act, but it's still too little too late. And, honestly, the people of Australia just don't believe a word he says. Most of the developed world is decarbonising. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Australia to get ahead of the pack. Instead, we have the National Party holding the Morrison government to ransom. It's not only embarrassing; it's devastating, and it will be costly. If Australia does not decarbonise, it will be punished economically through sanctions imposed by other nations.

The Prime Minister refused to commit to attending the Glasgow summit until he was shamed into doing so. It took Australian comedian Dan Ilic displaying messages on New York's Times Square billboards to get him to change his mind. The billboard messages—of burning native animals and other images highlighting Australia's appalling climate change policies—appeared last Thursday morning. By that afternoon the Prime Minister announced he was going to attend the Glasgow COP26 climate summit. Dan Ilic said in an interview with CNN that our Prime Minister is 'running away' from the crisis and, 'This what we have to do in this country, we have to drag our leaders to lead us.' How can we trust this Prime Minister with our future? This Prime Minister refuses to take responsibility and blames others for his government's failures. This is the Prime Minister who fled to Hawaii for a holiday while Australia burned in horrific bushfires in 2019.

Australians are demanding a government that has courage and vision—a vision for the future full of possibilities and opportunities, a vision that puts people ahead of political gain and a vision that focuses on strengthening our economy and having higher wages, secure work and more jobs. Labor has a plan to turn the challenges of the present into opportunities for the future. A Labor government won't run away from problems. Labor will secure a better future, a future fit for us now and for generations to come.

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