Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, wish to speak about the dysfunction we're seeing from the government on section 44 of the Constitution. I think that Senator Wong outlined the ridiculousness of the arguments the government have been putting around the Kiwis under the bed. My colleague Senator Watt highlighted the inconsistencies from the legal arguments we have seen from those opposite, particularly from the Attorney-General, George Brandis. We have seen Senator Canavan stand aside, but Barnaby Joyce, in the other house, refuses to do the same thing.

I think the important thing here is the dysfunction that the government have and the impact it is having on Australian families. That is something no-one has touched on yet; certainly, Senator Macdonald went nowhere near this. Let me talk about some of the issues that the government aren't dealing with because they are consumed about their own survival and increasingly desperate, as we have seen with their attacks today.

Let's talk about power prices. We hear a lot of those opposite come in and say that this is the most important issue, but what are they actually doing on it? We have seen no progress on this important issue, particularly when it comes to the clean energy target, in recent weeks. It is not even up for discussion from them in their caucus so far. We know that there is a war between the former Prime Minister and the current Prime Minister around the clean energy target. We want to see who is declared the winner. But in the meantime Australian families are paying more for power because of their inaction. The Labor Party are on the record saying we're willing to talk. We're willing to meet and compromise to bring in a clean energy target to provide certainty, but we see dysfunction and chaos on the other side. They are incapable of solving the issue.

Another issue close to my heart is the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. That is the fund that has not funded one single project. We know that the previous minister for this, Senator Canavan, has stood aside. The current minister responsible is the Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, who is now also under a cloud. The people of northern Australia are crying out for jobs, as Senator Macdonald well knows, but because of the dysfunction of this government not one project has been funded. There will probably be more delays because of the change in ministers we've had, and we will probably end up with another change in the ministry soon.

I spoke last night about the National Broadband Network. There is a growing crisis in the community with regard to people switching onto the NBN, with slow speeds and frustration around resolving problems. All we get from this lacklustre government and the lacklustre minister is lip-service about these problems. The Australian people have had enough, and increasingly they're blaming this government for the dysfunction of the NBN.

Another issue which is really important, particularly in Queensland, is the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements following Tropical Cyclone Debbie. Again, we see the dysfunction of the government. They are not making the adequate contribution to match the state government's funding of the important recovery projects that we see in Mackay, the Whitsundays and Rockhampton. The mayors are all on side with this. They are the ones calling for the government to come to the party to match the state government funding to ensure these communities can rebuild effectively, but the government have abandoned those communities. Minister Keenan will not even go back and visit those places. It is an absolutely shameful period, where George Christensen, the member for Dawson, has not put his shoulder to the wheel to solve this problem.

Again, there is an issue that was just discussed at question time today: the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. The Leader of the Government in the Senate didn't even have a brief. This is an important issue that was highlighted in the media—the theft of water with regard to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority—and the Leader of the Government in the Senate didn't even have a brief. That's how seriously they're treating the issue. They're happy to abandon the people who rely on the Murray-Darling Basin as well. But the opposition are going to put a focus on this, hopefully through a Senate inquiry, to get to the bottom of what is going on. At least one party in here will take this seriously.

So what we have highlighted here is the ongoing dysfunction of this government over section 44, but, more importantly, the negative impact that dysfunction is having on Australian families when it comes to issues like power prices, the NBN and jobs in regional Queensland. It is a disgraceful period for this government. The Australian people deserve so much better than this dysfunctional, self-absorbed government, and the Liberal National Party have a lot to answer for. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.