Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Whatever it is you want me to withdraw, I will. But, Madam Deputy President, I'm always encouraged that, whenever I speak and particularly when I start exposing some truths about the Australian Labor Party, one of their members will take a point of order. I'm gratified by that, because it always shows to me and anyone listening to this broadcast that you're on the right track.

It's clearly been exposed in question time today that Mr Shorten refuses to answer whether he had authority to give $100,000 of his union members' money to a political party. We know Mr Shorten lacks any sense of loyalty to anyone—anyone close to him, anyone far from him, anyone in the political sense or anyone in Australian life generally. That is of course why Mr Shorten's standing in the opinion polls continues to plummet, and it's why we all know as experienced politicians that it won't be long before Mr Albanese makes the challenge to Mr Shorten's leadership. I hope he doesn't, because, from a political point of view, we would much rather have Mr Shorten as our opponent at the next election. But clearly those in the Labor Party are petrified at Mr Shorten leading them to the next election. We only await, with bated breath, Mr Shorten coming clean and answering some of the questions that have been raised about his use—or misuse, might I say—of the money that he had control over as the leader of the Australian Workers' Union.

This is a sad day for the Australian parliament. It's again demonstrated by the alternative foreign minister that they have no idea of foreign affairs or propriety. (Time expired)