Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia's Prime Minister today resembles nothing quite so much as the dog who caught the car. The role that he coveted for so long he has now acquired but has nothing to do with it, or at least he has done nothing to distinguish his government from that led by Tony Abbott. The question arises: what is the point of Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister? What is the point of this Prime Minister? It is a question that is in the community. It is also a matter that is being raised within his party room. The 39 members of it who voted for a blank space in place of the member for Warringah made the right choice, because they identified a clear alternative. An alternative was needed.

The leadership change achieved nothing. We have instead, as the member for Grayndler has said, 'Tony Abbott in a top hat'. The new Prime Minister raised expectations. He talked about a different economic narrative. He talked about intelligent debate, but instead we have more of the same cheap, baseless scare campaigns and a continuation of policies—like on marriage and climate—that we know the Prime Minister disagrees with.

I will put the question I raised earlier a different way: what difference does it make that Malcolm Turnbull has replaced the member for Warringah as our Prime Minister? What difference does it make to the people of Australia that the Prime Minister's name has changed? It makes none.