George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Polley, I think what you are saying is: when is Mr Turnbull going to write a 4,000-word essay? I think Mr Turnbull is busy with other things. But, Senator Polley, might I point out that I and most of those who sit behind me on the front bench were members of the Abbott government, as was Mr Turnbull, and we were proud to be so. We were very, very proud to be so, because that was the government that began the task of budget repair, that was the government that got our borders under control, that was the government that began the process of restoring defence spending from the catastrophic levels to which it had fallen under the government of which you were a part, Senator Polley; and that was the government that began to put pride back into the people of Australia after the years of chaos and mediocrity—six years of chaos and mediocrity—that they suffered during the period of the Labor government.

So, Senator Polley, we are very proud of the Abbott government, just as we are very proud of the Turnbull government, because coalition governments, unlike Labor governments— (Time expired)