Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given that the government has voted today to support the establishment of a National Integrity Commission, does the government actually support a National Integrity Commission? Yes or no?

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

I refer the Leader of the Opposition to the answer given by the Attorney-General. The government has already been working on these matters for several months, and we are following our process through the cabinet process. That's how things should be done.

We're not going to engage in half-baked ideas from the opposition, whether it's what they're throwing around in this chamber or whether it's their new pink batteries claim. Remember pink batts? Now we've got pink batteries. That's what we've got from a Leader of the Opposition and a Labor Party who have learnt nothing during their time in opposition. All the failures of when they were last in government are just distant memories to them. They have haven't learnt a thing. They haven't learnt that if you—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on direct relevance. The question was very specific: does the Prime Minister and the government support a National Integrity Commission? Yes or no?

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

The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Mr Speaker, I addressed the question. I said the cabinet has a process to deal with this measure in a way that is prudent, that is responsible, and that works through all the unintended consequences to make sure that we have a process that doesn't go around vilifying people who work for the public sector, whether they be journalists or public officials or anyone else. We have a calm, considered and mature approach to this issue.

That's unlike the sort of wreckage and failed policies we saw from the Labor Party when they were last in office—everything from cash for clunkers to burning people's roofs down. We remember Labor's abominable failures when they were last in government, and so do the Australian people. They will wreak havoc on our economy. They will bring great changes to our economy which will put the economy at risk, whether it's $200 billion in higher taxes or taking the industrial relations system back to the 1970s. Under the Labor Party's industrial relations policies you'll need long hair and flares, because that's where they want to take industrial relations in this country—back to the days of conflict and division. You cannot lead a country that you only seek to divide, but that's the Leader of the Opposition's plan.