Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Facing certain defeat in the Senate, the Assistant Treasurer—the Albanese Labor government's weakest link—has sensationally been forced to amend his own legislation to avoid an embarrassing loss on the floor of the Senate. Indeed, the government moved an amendment which was an exact copy of the opposition's amendment—an amendment that this government opposed on the floor and an amendment the Assistant Treasurer said he would fight to his last breath. Well, his last breath didn't last very long.

In fact, the Albanese Labor government, through the Assistant Treasurer, has sought to allow some super funds to be excluded from performance tests based on faith, which will deliver lower returns on savings for Australians—upwards of $100,000 lower. This comes after an embarrassed Labor government pulled their Treasury bills out of the Senate last week and further humiliation for the Assistant Treasurer when the Prime Minister and, indeed, the Treasurer opposite had to intervene and override a deal he had done with the Greens that would have rammed through changes to banking legislation without consultation with the industry. Thank goodness, the Treasurer did intervene on his hapless Assistant Treasurer.

The Assistant Treasurer is Labor's weakest link. He is focused on delivering for everyone except the Australian people. He must lift his game.