Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Mallee did get in early, and good on her, because her people were able to listen to what she thought about the budget. Her people were able to know that they are going to hurt from that budget. They are going to hurt from water cuts. They are going to hurt from the truckie tax. They are going to hurt from higher electricity bills. 'Where's the $275?' they're all asking. At least the member for Mallee was able to enunciate and clearly articulate exactly what she thought about the budget, but all of these other members weren't: O'Connor, Moore, the Greens leader, the member for Melbourne—they gagged him too. Good luck with your preferences next time there. There was the Independent from Indi and the member for Brisbane—not that I value what the Greens say, but I will stand up for their ability to say it, and they're right to say it in the house of democracy every day of every week. There were the members for Barker, Capricornia, Lyne, Cowper, Grey and Hughes, and the Centre Alliance member for Mayo. There were the members for Petrie, Nicholls, Fisher, Bowman, Groom, Wannon, Banks, La Trobe, Wright, McPherson and Hume—the Shadow Treasurer, because he was gagged, was not allowed to have his say on the member for Rankin's budget speech. What a disgrace that is! The member for Hume, the shadow Treasurer, should've been able to speak on that.

There were the members for Deakin and Lindsay, the Katter Australia party member for Kennedy, and the member for Monash. And, let's face it, there were probably more as well.

To be fair, and I'm always fair, as the member for Lyons knows, there were Labor members who were also not allowed to speak on it. But, in good, disciplined Labor fashion, they would've just copped that. They would've accepted that, but some of them—no doubt all of them—have been up, even though they were not allowed to speak about the member for Rankin's budget speech. But guess what? I bet you they're in here talking about the Public Service Amendment Bill 2023.

Do you know who misses out? It's not the ALP members. Quite frankly, it's not the LNP members or the Independents or the teals. It's the people of Australia. They deserve better. They expect better. They demand better. And they demand better of this place. It was supposed to be a nicer, more polite way—

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