Andrew Charlton (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on behalf of New South Wales tourism. It is a lovely time of year in Sydney at the moment. Temperatures are perfect, and, as we head toward 25 March, you can get a real sense of the changing of the seasons—at least the changing of the political seasons. Tourists in Sydney are watching summer fade into autumn and the leaves turn a lovely shade of red—a beautiful shade of red—especially in East Hills, Penrith and Riverstone. I'm told the Upper Hunter is turning a beautiful shade of red this time of year as well. Tourists are also enjoying Sydney beaches, and, up on the Northern Beaches, the water has an emerald quality in the midst of blue. I think they call that colour teal.

But, despite the beauty of New South Wales, there is one group of tourists we haven't managed to attract, and that's the opposition frontbench. Since November the Leader of the Opposition has been to Sydney once, and, when he was asked about this on Thursday by a journalist, a New South Wales Liberal jumped to his defence and he said, 'We've got problems of our own.' What a ringing endorsement of confidence in the federal and state branches!

Opposition membe rs interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left will cease interjecting.

Andrew Charlton (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition has been so conspicuously absent from Sydney that New South Wales tourism is thinking of hiring Lara Bingle to ask, 'Where the bloody hell are you?'

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded.