Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I congratulate the Australian soccer team on winning the Asian cup, and I can only reflect on what a wonderful thing it is that Senator Wong was not a member of the team. Senator Wong scored an own goal today in asking that question of Senator Abetz. Senator Abetz's rejoinder was that, when this issue was resolved today, he did not turn on the leader as Senator Wong had done to Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard in her time as Leader of the Senate. What we saw playing out in this place today was the contrast between the Liberal Party and the Labor Party. What we saw historically with Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard was the greatest act of bastardry and lack of loyalty—and, of course, it played out in the sense that the Australian people did not even have the opportunity to have their say.

What we saw today was a mature process enacted by a backbench. I again go to Senator Wong's supplementary question in which she demanded of Senator Abetz that he confirm that the cabinet had a free vote. The Labor Party just do not understand. A secret ballot, as I remember it, is a ballot that allows each person to state their position without fear or favour or influence. And that is what we had today in our party room. We had a secret ballot indicating a free vote—no opportunity for the Prime Minister of the day to put pressure on cabinet members, ministers or anybody else. When Labor went into opposition we had the spectacle of the rank and file having an opportunity to have a vote—and they supported Mr Albanese. But when the parliamentarians in the Labor Party had their vote, they selected Mr Shorten. So we have a Leader of the Opposition who does not enjoy the full support of those who had the opportunity to vote.

We have had questions asked today by Senator Moore. All this went to was the fact that on our side of politics—as evidenced by Ms Gambaro's comments, statements and questions—we are free to speak in public without any fear of retribution. We have a mature process. We have a process that is fully democratic. We have a process, as played out today, where people have the opportunity to decide whether they want to have a spill. That is in contrast to the circumstances in which Mr Rudd lost the prime ministership.

I would now like to address the issue raised now by Senator Wong with regard to submarines and the program for the replacement. What a lamentable situation it is for the senior South Australian senator in this place—a senior minister when Labor was in government and now the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate—to raise her nose above the spectre of the failure of the last government when it came to submarines for this nation and indeed for South Australia. Absolutely nothing was left for the incoming government in terms of a program to replace the submarine fleet. When the Labor Party was in government we heard nothing from Senator Wong, Senator Farrell or anyone else about what the future might hold. And we now have this sanctimonious bleating from Senator Wong and others. What the Prime Minister has said—echoed by the Minister for Finance—is that, in the interests of the Australian community, we will have a competitive process to determine who will build the future submarines of this country. We would not be in this position if Labor, in government, had acted. (Time expired)