Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware that, when asked whether conservatives would 'strike again at the leadership of the government', Liberal senator Fierravanti-Wells responded, 'Well, I have to say, at this point in time, we'll see.' And then, again, she said, 'We'll see how that honeymoon period goes.' Is that what the Prime Minister meant in his answer yesterday when he claimed 'the curtain had come down on the muppet show'?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. As a new Prime Minister and as the new leader of our party, I understand that I have a big job to do as I demonstrate to Australians my authenticity, the things that I believe in, the things that I care about and the priorities that I've set out. When it comes to these issues, I'm not troubled, because I have lived my values in this place every single day. Australians will get to know me, but I know one thing: while they are yet to decide about me, they've made up their minds about this fella; they've made up their minds about the leader of the Labor Party, who is bred, fed and led by the trade union militancy movement that he has been a part of all his working life before he came here. He leads a team of people who are similarly bred, fed and led by the union movement. Let's see a show of hands—how many of them over there have worked with trade union officials? Where is the show of hands? They're ashamed! Show me your hands. Why don't you tell me? They are ashamed of their militant union background. They don't want to be honest with the Australian people about what they really believe. This Leader of the Opposition is someone Australians have worked out over the last five years, and they know he can't be trusted because he believes in absolutely nothing but himself.

Mr Feeney interjecting—

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Batman is warned, as is the member for Isaacs! I repeat what I said yesterday: I will eject members without warning. I say to the member for Isaacs that, while everyone was interjecting, he interjects at a particularly high noise level. If I reach the conclusion that he's incapable of controlling it, I'll just have to solve the problem.