Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Taking note of answers is an opportunity for the opposition to hit on the topic of the day—the burning issue for them in their service to the people of Australia. What was it today? The special purpose aircraft manifest and its tabling in the Senate. I confess, when I go to the supermarket, everybody wants to talk to me about the tabling of this manifest! It is just so vitally important to them to be able to manage their household budget! It is so vitally important to them to know what we're doing about the coronavirus! It's so important to them to know about their job security or about our Defence capacity and Defence capability!

What they want to talk to me about is exactly what the Australian Labor Party has raised as the issue today? No—not so. They actually want to talk about the real issues. They want to talk about job security. They want to know how unemployment can come down even further, to know that there will be security for coalminer jobs, to know that this government seeks to govern for all Australians and not just for green, inner-city elites. Yet here we had the alternative government, led by Mr Albanese, coming into this place and telling the Australian people that their topic of the day, their concern for the Australian people, is the tabling of a manifest for special purpose aircraft.

If ever there was a classic example of the Australian Labor Party living in the Canberra bubble and unable to extract themselves from it, today is that example. Really, do we in this chamber honestly believe—it seems that the Labor Party does, that their tactics team does, that their leadership does—that, given the opportunity today to raise a matter on taking note of answers, they should come up with this zinger of a question about the tabling of the manifest for special purpose aircraft and how late it is, and that then becomes the topic of the day? I am sure that every single news bulletin in the nation will be leading this evening with this issue! Of course they won't be. It won't even make the newspapers—and nor should it.

This is an example of a political party completely and utterly divorced from the true aspirations, from the true needs of the Australian people whom they are sworn to serve—and to think that the Australian Labor Party presents itself as an alternative government, concerned about the wellbeing of the Australian people. Yet when given the opportunity of half an hour to debate an issue of the day, what is it? It's the tabling of the manifest for special purpose aircraft. This really is unbelievable. Who on earth is responsible for these tactics, for this decision, that this is going to be the issue that is going to consume the time of every man, woman and child around Australia this evening as they sit down to dinner? Really, is this the best the Labor Party has to offer?

Well, I can indicate to the Australian people who might be listening into this broadcast that sadly yes, it is the best the Australian Labor Party has to offer. The good news is that they are not in government and we, as a government, are concentrating on the issues of the day. Sure, we are dealing with issues such as bushfires, drought and coronavirus. We are getting on with ensuring that our defence capability is up to scratch, having been neglected for a good six years under the previous, Labor, government. And we are concentrating on those issues. So, when there may be slippage in relation to the tabling of a manifest for special purpose aircraft, I don't blame the Minister for Defence if it's not her top priority, when there are other issues, such as mobilising our Defence Force to assist in the fire emergency and ensuring that we get a proper submarine fleet and that we get proper shipbuilding capacity within our nation, that should be consuming her time. They are the matters that are consuming her time, and the record is now there for people to see—that we are on the big issues of the day. I encourage the Australian Labor Party to simply keep on talking about special purpose aircraft and confirm to the Australian people that you are well and truly ensconced in the Canberra bubble and have no understanding of their real— (Time expired)