Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Finance, Charities and Electoral Matters) Share this | Hansard source

Can I just start by responding to that grubby attack on our most senior public servant from Senator Gallagher. That was a grubby, disgusting attack on our most senior public servant we just heard. Let's be clear about what's going on here from the Australian Labor Party and opposition in this place. On the one hand, they're coming in and saying, 'Ministers should do as they're told by public servants.' On the other hand, they're coming in here and launching a grubby, disgusting attack on a senior and distinguished Australian public servant.

This in fact has got nothing to do with what we're talking about today. It's got to do with the fact that the Labor Party, before the election, were absolutely certain that they were going to be coming into government. We all saw the pictures posing and saying, 'We're ready to go,' before their taxation policy was fundamentally rejected by the Australian people. Mr Bowen, who of course contributed to the loss at the 2019 election, hinted strongly that he was going to sack Mr Gaetjens as Treasury secretary if he came in. So don't give us this absolute rubbish. That was a grubby attack. That was beneath you, Senator Gallagher. That was absolutely beneath you. Mr Gaetjens was on your hit list and you didn't get to take him out. You didn't get to take him out because the Australian people rejected your agenda. I think that was a grubby and disgraceful attack.

Turning to the actual questions that were asked, I don't recall a grubby attack in the questions on Mr Gaetjens. But let's go to the attack that the Labor Party launched. We heard from member after member of the Labor Party in statements on their Facebook pages and in their press releases a welcoming of the investments in their communities. Many of them were in what I would regard, and what most of us would regard, as relatively safe Labor seats. We heard Senator Farrell out there decrying certain investments in South Australia. He seemed to be complaining. The seat of Adelaide, a Labor held seat by a pretty considerable margin—I think, over eight per cent—received $1.5 million in grants. We saw here in Canberra some wonderful investments, some absolutely critical investments under this program. We saw in the seat of Bean, for the Arawang Netball Association, the Molonglo Juggernauts, the Southern Canberra Gymnastics Club, the Southlands Tennis Club and the Woden Valley Gymnastics Club, some really critical investments in infrastructure, which frankly the ACT government, if they were doing a better job, would have invested in by now. But we've had to come in through superior economic management and invest in these critical community facilities.

Let's go through the list. They talked about seats. In the seat of Canberra, we saw $882,000 and some amazing investments in Brumbies rugby, female change room facilities, dragon boats at Lotus Bay and upgrades to the Canberra Netball Association facilities and the Reid Tennis Club. These were some really significant investments.

Then we have Grayndler—that marginal seat which is held by Mr Albanese by, I think, about 15.9 per cent against the Greens and so obviously would have been a clear target seat for the coalition at the last election!

We saw, of course, the investment of $500,000 for upgraded lighting, access and amenities at Dawn Fraser Baths, and we had the Leader of the Opposition going out there and thanking Minister McKenzie for her work in helping to secure this—thanking Minister McKenzie. And we've had member after member of the Labor Party, even while they were referring these issues, going out there and almost trying to claim credit for these investments from the coalition government. These investments are critical, and Senator Canavan has debunked the arguments that have been put forward by the Labor Party.

I want to finish, once again, on this grubby attack from Senator Gallagher on Mr Gaetjens. Don't attack Mr Gaetjens because he was on your hit list and you wanted to get rid of him. There are plenty of senior public servants who have served as staffers in Labor Party offices. We respect their role. You should respect the role of the head of the Australian Public Service and not get into that grubby bashing. (Time expired)