Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, I of course adhere to your ruling. I think that the substance of this legislation is about how to make the lives of older Australians better. That's what I think is the substance of the thing. So I'll do what those opposite want.

This debate was about the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Pension Loans Scheme Enhancements) Bill 2021, but they've moved a second reading amendment, which basically means anything that the sun shines on is now allowed to be part of this debate, because that is what all their amendments are about. Their amendments are about playing undergraduate games with the future of older Australians, and I will go back to where I was rudely interrupted before, no doubt, the member for Moreton calls quorum on me, because that's their usual next tactic when they hear something they don't like hearing about, which is how they take the votes from someone who has been receiving donations from a coal investor who bought a coalmine from Eddie Obeid—who had an adverse finding in the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption—who then split that one transaction amongst eight members of their family.

This was only discovered when a reporter from the Sydney Morning Herald, Rob Harris, had courage, because no doubt he was discouraged from writing the story, and then posted the story. That is why this government fights day in and day out to make the lives of pensioners better, and it can't do it because those opposite—

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