Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are moments in this place when we need our political leaders to rise to meet the moment. Every time we have those moments, the Leader of the Opposition fails to meet the moment. There is no issue too big for him to politicise and show how small he is. He did that earlier today when he refused to back a motion commemorating the attacks on 7 October, because the motion also acknowledged the loss of life of those in Gaza and Lebanon.

Why am I surprised by the actions of the Leader of the Opposition? He has form on this. He has always failed to reach the moment. He did that during the election campaign when asked whether or not people on the minimum wage ought to receive a wage increase. In that moment he said no, whereas the Prime Minister unequivocally said yes.

When we are going through a cost-of-living challenge and we are saying to people, 'We want to give you energy bill relief,' the Leader of the Opposition says no. When the community are saying that they want action on climate change, the only offer the Leader of the Opposition is providing is not renewable energy but nuclear energy, again failing to read the community and failing to rise to meet the moment.