Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I learned long ago not to trust the Labor Party when they come in here claiming to quote my colleagues. I have said time and time again that this is a government committed to the service of the Australian people—a government that does not indulge in the sort of gossip column tactics of the Labor Party. Mr President, you would have thought that on an occasion such as this, having the opportunity to put the government to the test, there might have been a question about the China free trade agreement and the jobs that that would provide. But no, instead we have a question about what somebody allegedly said on some program. We do not indulge in those sorts of matters on this side—we keep on with the task of serving the Australian people, of creating the employment opportunities, of reducing the cost of living pressures on family budgets, of ensuring that we get a good, sound, balanced environmental policy, of getting our resource projects underway and of getting rid of red and green tape. They are the things that we concentrate on, they are the things that we are devoted to, and that is what we will continue to do.

We can play all sorts of games about 'he said', 'she said', and indeed there are some very interesting quotes of what Labor people are saying about each other. Where does that advance the cause of the national interest? Absolutely nowhere. What advances the cause of the national interest is a focus on the policies that will create jobs, will keep jobs, will put downward pressure on the cost of living and will ensure the future of our nation. That is what we are dedicated to doing.