Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Right now there are 57 bushfires burning throughout New South Wales, from the north to the Victorian border. It's winter and the regular bushfire season has not even started. The New South Wales government says that 100 per cent of the state of New South Wales is drought affected. Fifty-seven per cent of Queensland is drought declared. Rather than focusing on these matters, the government are arguing amongst themselves and squabbling about who is going to be the next Prime Minister of this country. They say it's about energy policy, but it's not. It's about politics. It is, as the member for Warringah says, all about attempting to create a point of difference between yourself and the opposition. If the thing that you are attempting to differentiate yourself on is the truth, then the political project that you are building is built upon a lie. When the thing that you are attempting to differentiate yourself on is an obvious need, then your policy is a vehicle for neglect. You have had six energy policies in five years, three of them in the last three weeks. The choice is not between a Turnbull government and a Dutton government; the choice is between governing and not governing. And you are failing.