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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can he confirm that this fortnight government members and senators have crossed the floor on multiple issues; the chair of the privileges committee resigned over a report on the member for Pearce, who also resigned; and the Prime Minister was forced to abandon his voter suppression bill? Hasn't the Morrison-Joyce government lost the ability to govern?

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

'No' is the short answer to that question. The coalition government continues to focus on the issues the Australian people have foremost in the front of their minds. Last Sunday, before we came back into this parliament this week, we raised one of the most important issues that Australian families have, now more than at any other time, and that is the terrible impact that social media is having on the mental health of their families.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I hear the interjection 'What?' from those on the other side of the chamber. They may not be aware of the severity of this issue. That might not be what they are concerned about, but I can assure you that the members on the government benches in the coalition government are terribly concerned about this. While the Labor Party want to focus on the parliamentary games of Canberra and what goes on in the bubble of this place, my government, our government, will focus very firmly on what is happening in the homes and the communities all around this country. They are concerned about their health and their wellbeing as we come through one of the largest and most significant pandemics in 100 years over the course of this year.

Even just this week we have reached 20 million Australians having had their first vaccination. We have one of the highest rates in the world and one of the strongest economies coming through the pandemic. We have 350,000 people coming back into jobs. We have one of the lowest fatality rates from COVID in the world, having saved 30,000 lives. We have 217,000 apprentices in trade training and a million Australians working in manufacturing. Schools are getting back and open again. Australia is opening safely so it can remain safely open. These are the issues our government is focused on. The defence of our nation, the signing up to the AUKUS agreement and working with our allies and partners to create a free and open Indo-Pacific with the uncertainty that our world faces, particularly in our own region. Even now we hear from the OECD that they have upgraded the economic forecast for Australia as we go into next year. People are getting a job. People are buying a home; 320,000 Australians are getting into home ownership as a result of the policies of our government.

The leader of the Labor Party spends a lot of his time focusing on this place. He should focus on what's happening out there in the Australian community.