Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Today in the Senate the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck, turned his back and fled the chamber in order to avoid debate on his performance. Not a single member of the government defended the minister. Can it really be the case that there is no-one on the government backbench who could do a better job than Senator Colbeck?

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

I'm very certain of one thing: there's no-one who sits over there who could do a better job than any of the ministers who sit on this side, and not just on that issue of aged care. Certainly, when it comes to our fine Treasurer, you won't find a better treasurer on that side, Mr Speaker. You won't find a deputy prime minister as good as this one among those pretending to do it on that side, or as good a minister for home affairs, attorney-general or minister for energy. I know the member for Hunter would like to join our policy on energy. When we're asked about things like gas and we give our responses, I know the member for Hunter would like to join us in adding to the answer, because he is so much in agreement. But you won't find a minister for health as good as this one—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. Members on both sides will cease interjecting. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order on direct relevance: given the gravity of the issue we're dealing with today and why there is a question over the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, you would think the Prime Minister could spend more than three seconds talking about the current Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians.

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

I will just rule on the point of order. I just say to the Manager of Opposition Business that if the question wasn't littered with political comment and the sort of language that it had in it he would have a much stronger case. I've made the point before and I'll just make it very clear: when questions have such a strong element of debate, political comment and the language used about the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians in the Senate chamber, my attitude, so there's no confusion, is it really does open it up very much for whoever's answering. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I have outstanding ministers here. The minister for agriculture and the minister for emergency management: you won't find ones like that! And, of course, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, who I know in his great humility works closely with the shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, but you won't find a finer minister for Indigenous Australians. The minister for communications, the ministers for education, for industry, for environment, for national disabilities and, of course, the Assistant Treasurer, whose pioneering work on the HomeBuilder scheme, the first-home lenders scheme, is getting Australians into their first home. Those opposite mock, but what my government is doing is keeping Australians safe, it's keeping Australians strong and it's keeping Australians together. This mob on that side can't keep themselves together.