Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leadership is important in good times, but it is vital in tough times. As a nation we are facing some very significant challenges. We face drought; we had a significant bushfire season; and we are now dealing with coronavirus. Australians expect a government who, through good leadership, can respond to issues important to them with certainty, resilience and empathy. That is exactly what they have on this side of the House with the Morrison government. You would hope that in a time like this any person in this place would be seeking to provide comfort, assurance and leadership. Disappointingly, that is not the case, because the contrast between the priorities of this government and the Labor members opposite could not be more stark. When Australians go home, around the dinner table they are talking about this government's priorities—about how they can be safe from coronavirus, about how their community is faring after the fires and how we're working through the ongoing drought. They are not talking about Labor's focus on who sends an email to whom or who was invited to where. The Labor Party, with their petty politics, are so caught up in their own bubble that they cannot help but talk down the economy and focus on politics over people. Each day, Labor have used the opportunity in this place to play petty politics. You are not an alternative government, and Australians are watching you with disdain. (Time expired)

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

It being 2 pm, the time for members' statements has concluded.