Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the outset I must say that this is one of the most remarkably illogical debates that I have ever had the duty to participate in. Somehow or other, because the government chooses to appoint a particular person who was in their former life a minister for finance and a former Premier and who has had a very senior involvement in both the community sector and the private sector since his life in parliament, the government is at fault and the Minister for Finance and Deregulation in the government, who does not have portfolio responsibility or any involvement in the administration of the reconstruction efforts in Queensland and other places because they are administered by Senator Ludwig—the special minister for the purpose—and Minister McClelland in the other place, is somehow or other to be treated with disrespect and the government is said to have no confidence in her and that she has no role apart from that of finance minister.

In fact, this is not a vote of no confidence in the government; it is not a vote of no confidence in Minister Wong. The appointment of Mr Fahey and several other very senior men and women from across the board to the committee overseeing reconstruction spending and reporting to Minister Ludwig and Mr McClelland, who then report to cabinet and the Prime Minister, demonstrates the government’s desire to have full and proper scrutiny, serious levels of accountability and serious levels of responsibility in the disbursement of public funds and its determination to see that that scrutiny, accountability and responsibility in respect of public spending is carried out properly, with full and open transparency in the administration of those funds.

In that context, what are we discussing? We are discussing, as was suggested several times during question time, the most serious national disaster at least for 30 years and arguably longer. The government, in administering its part of the recovery, is properly focused on its two most important roles. Firstly, in an overall sense it has to maintain sound administration of public finance in this country by insisting upon a return to budget surplus, not dropping the ball at the first opportunity when difficult issues arise or difficult questions have to be answered but sticking to its economic plan of returning to budget surplus so that we will have sound fiscal and financial administration in this country. Secondly, the government is making some small contribution to the reconstruction in Queensland, particularly Brisbane and Far North Queensland and other areas we have all seen on TV in recent days. They have been subject to varying degrees of ongoing natural disaster. So, we have to focus on a budget surplus and on reconstruction.

Senator Abetz in his opening remarks made much of Minister Wong’s alleged abdication and dereliction of her responsibility. Mr Fahey, as previous speakers on this side have said, is most experienced. But there is not just him; it is a group of five very senior people from the private sector, from large corporations and companies involved in logistics and in the movement of people and goods. They have been asked to volunteer their time, to give of their skills, to assist those who are in need through no fault of their own. Mr Fahey, acknowledged as a former senior member of previous governments, has a role in that. The government would be silly and also churlish if it did not respect the fact that in a whole range of areas, whether they be flood mitigation or reconstruction efforts, there are people who, irrespective of their politics or their background, have particular skills and capabilities and they can assist the government to help the people of Queensland get on with their lives.

In some respects this is no different to a range of committees being established. Today we have had briefings from five or six senior people who are part of a government inquiry— (Time expired)