Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, the true nature of Australian stories needs to be told. We saw with Nemesis, in only the first two episodes that we've had so far, that when they say what they're like in terms of taxes, we saw the first thing they did when they got into office was put taxes up and flatline wages. We saw, when they talk about the concerns about industrial action, we were reminded that when they didn't like Malcolm Turnbull they went on strike and shut down the entire parliament because they didn't like their boss. We then saw, with all the complaints we watched last night about the ABC from the Leader of the Opposition, that it's actually the one network that has provided a program where no-one other than members the Liberal and National parties is heard. No-one else says a word, and it's the most devastating thing for the Liberal and National brand you could ever see.

I know there are three episodes, but I think we're hoping for a fourth. I know there was Star Wars:Episode IVA New Hope. This could be episode four: 'Thug', where we get to see the reality of what's said versus what happens. Last night, the Leader of the Opposition said, 'We are more united than ever in the Liberal Party. Nobody is looking backwards.' And he's right, because, except for the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the member for Riverina, the member for New England, the member for Hume, the member for Petrie, the member for Canning, the member for McPherson, the member for Leichhardt, the member for Deakin, Senator Cash, Senator Reynolds, Senator Birmingham and Senator McGrath—except for them—no-one is looking backwards at all! Not one! Absolutely none of them!

The Leader of the Opposition also said they're a united party—a united party that, since the election, is four members smaller, in terms of losing the former member for Aston; the member for Calare, who went to the crossbench; the member for Monash and Senator Van. Six frontbenchers have gone, two of whom he doesn't have the courage to replace. But it ended with a cliffhanger. Episode 2 had the cliffhanger: he's going to smile more! And we all know how that ended!

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