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

Once upon a time, we only got The Muppet Show for half an hour a week, but we have had it 24 hours a day, seven days a week, since this Prime Minister has been in office. Frankly, this is a guy who, two days ago, stood at the dispatch box, puffed himself up and said, 'Believe me: I really am authentic.' But he hasn't told the Australian people the truth about why he got the job and how he got the job. He spent the entire week trying to tell us that he's authentic but he hasn't got a word to say about what he's going to do for ordinary Australians.

If the way they've run this parliament for the last week is any indication then Australians have a lot to be afraid of. The Prime Minister has been running a protection racket for the minister for border protection as the former Prime Minister and the former foreign minister are now raising real doubts about whether this guy should be sent straight from this place to the High Court. He has instructed his two newest recruits to the frontbench that their first duty is to give up their convictions on the ending of live sheep export. Fancy that—he's the man who's supposed to be authentic, and his first act is instructing his two new recruits to give up their convictions! That gives you an indication of everything you need to know about this guy: nothing authentic whatsoever.