Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

And, as I say, you can see the glee on the Greens' faces at that outcome. They're having a giggle to themselves right now because they actually don't care about progressive reform that takes this country forward, that actually helps poorer people in the community and that delivers real change to the environment. That's why they voted against the CPRS when Kevin Rudd was in government. That's why they're putting up stunts about Newstart in here that have no practical effect whatsoever. They are all about self-indulgent stunts, and the Bob Brown convoy was the best example we could have possibly seen of that. The Greens did not care one iota what impact their actions through the federal campaign in the form of the Bob Brown convoy or anything else had on the election result.

We saw arrogant, self-indulgent behaviour from the Greens before the election—that is, they went around saying they wanted to be a coalition partner and part of the future Shorten Labor government. If you want to talk about people who were measuring up the curtains, it was the Greens. Having lost the election worse than anyone else, they now have the hide to term themselves the official opposition and christen themselves shadow ministers. Well, maybe start by getting a few more members into the House of Representatives let alone the Senate before you start doling out shadow ministries to each other.

I am sick to death of self-indulgent behaviour from the Greens. They have no respect for Queenslanders, for the environment, for jobs, for progressive reform. If they actually cared about those things, they wouldn't have been doing silly stunts through the federal election—and which they continue to do after the election—because all those stunts did was to make sure that that mob over there, the blue team as we call them in my house, stayed where they are. That's why all of us have to stay over here and watch the damage that the blue team—the Liberal and National team—is inflicting on the Australian people and the environment, something you say you care about.

People said to me after the election, 'Oh, gee, the Greens were really upset about that.' They were ecstatic. All they really cared about was getting their primary vote up in the state of Queensland. They managed to secure Senator Waters spot back in here and they managed to hang onto all their other senators in the other states across the country. They were very happy with the result of the election. They didn't care what the consequences of their actions were. They never do. All they care about is stunts. They're not actually serious about getting the job done and about driving progressive reform. Sometimes you have to make some compromises along the way in order to get the job done. The reality of winning an election is that you have to get the majority of people to vote for you, not just one small section of the community.

The sooner the Greens wake up to themselves and stop pulling silly stunts that all but guarantee the Liberal and National Party remain in government the better. If you're actually serious about getting a better environmental position, maybe think about getting this mob out of power and maybe think about directing some of your energies at them rather than always at Labor. If you want to keep running people against Labor candidates, as you continue to do, then don't cry about the fact that the Liberals and Nationals win. We are the ones who are taking on this mob and who are putting real, progressive ideas forward that can actually deliver while you're off running silly stunts just to make sure you can continue to draw your salary. That's all the Greens are about. I think most Australians are awake to you. It would be a really nice change if the Greens got in behind some real policy that could actually work.

Let's talk about Newstart momentarily. If the Greens were serious about that, why didn't they get Adam Bandt, the member for Melbourne, to introduce a bill over there? We all know that's where a change to Newstart can actually happen. If you want to bring in a bill to change the rate of Newstart, it's got to start on the other side of the building, in the House of Representatives. You've got a member of parliament over there. His name is Adam Bandt. I know most of you don't like him, but I can introduce you to him sometime. If you were serious about lifting the rate of Newstart, then you would actually have introduced a bill over there rather than pulling another one of your silly stunt motions, like you do every single day. As you very well know, moving a motion here to increase Newstart has no practical effect whatsoever. You get to go and do your silly 'we did it' stunts and memes that you put around the place, but you know what? You don't actually do anything.

The only thing you've done is guarantee that the crowd over there is going to keep Newstart low, is going to keep pillaging the environment, is going to keep pushing on the coalmines that you say you don't like and is going to keep discriminating against the people you say you stand for. Well done! 'We did it. We did it. We made sure this government got re-elected.' Well done! Great work! How long are you going to keep up these kinds of stunts that ensure they stay in government forever? I didn't come here to remain on the opposition benches. I know that all of you have no prospect whatsoever of being in government and that you're happy being a little rump up there on your own, passing your silly motions, getting your little social media memes out and having a bit of a giggle amongst yourselves, but the rest of us are actually here to do a real job—to move Australia forward and get wages lifted.

I know you don't like unions and you don't know many working people, but there are working people out there who actually need a pay rise. You're not doing anything to help them by keeping the Liberals and the Nationals in power. We on this side of the chamber have come here to drive progressive reform, to win government—that concept is a bit alien to the Greens—and to get a majority of people to vote for us so that we can lift wages, reverse penalty rate cuts and bring in real changes that will impact on climate change, lift Newstart and do all the things you say you want to do but which you're completely inept at getting done. The only thing the Greens have demonstrated any ability to do is to ensure the Liberals and Nationals stay in power and to ensure that all the causes they say they care about get nowhere. I hope that they take this onboard. It's probably the best advice they've had for a while. They should have a good listen to it and wake up to themselves.