Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It has only been two months in 2017 and a lot has changed in the world, a lot of it because of what has happened on the other side of the Pacific. A country that you may have your views about but, frankly, a lot of us have a lot of time for and admire is going through a lot of change, and that change is not just confined there. It possesses the potential to change politics here in this country.

I do not think we as a group of politicians should be following the trend down; we should be lifting things up. In the discourse that we have, as robust as Australian politics is and as much as we do enjoy the theatre of politics, there are a number of things we have got to ensure. One is that we cannot follow this view persisting right now in the States that believes that, by demonising one group, you lift the others. In actual fact, bringing people together is a test. That is a test for us here. The politicians that bring people together will be the ones that should be commended.

The other thing is that we have got to be able to find a way to have that discussion without telling mistruths. We should not be following what we have seen in the States, where you tell a blatant mistruth and get away with it. A few days ago we had one person in this place tell a straight mistruth about the Leader of the Opposition. You should not be able to do that. We have got to do better. (Time expired)