Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

[by video link] As a servant to the people of Queensland and Australia, I agree that the federal government is not serving the people in managing COVID-19. Neither is the Queensland Labor government. Solid plans require data as their basis. A core issue in Australian politics at federal and state government level is government fear of using data. Having been in business and responsible for the safety, lives and livelihoods of hundreds of people working in hostile and hazardous underground environments, I always got the data—objective data, accurate data, reliable data. People's lives and livelihoods deserve nothing less.

When data is missing, governments rely on taking care of donors, rely on opinions and aim for emotional marketing slogans and headlines. They rely on fooling people, not serving people. Take, for example, energy and climate policy. Climate tossed the last six Prime Ministers. Climate is splitting Labor. Real Labor MPs like Senators Gallacher, Sterle and Farrell are trying to protect blue-collar workers from the likes of new Labor's Mark Butler, Tanya Plibersek, Anthony Albanese, Senators McAllister and Watt, who are hell-bent on virtue-signalling and stopping leakage of votes to the Greens while forsaking workers.

John Howard recently admitted the Liberal Party has descended into tribalism. Would-be Greens like Trent Zimmerman and his fellow socialists—who Bronwyn Bishop said last year grew into a large group under Malcolm Turnbull—are battling true Liberals like Craig Kelly, Senators Rennick, Fierravanti-Wells and Abetz. Then we have the split-personality, the Nationals, like Barnaby Joyce and Senator Canavan, known to be sceptical on climate yet, when in cabinet, spruiking that we need to cut carbon dioxide. Prime Minister Turnbull showered $400 million on wind turbines in New England to get Mr Joyce elected in 2016.

That's why Liberal, Labor and Nationals governments failed to make a coherent plan on any issue. They need to get back to solid data and aim to serve the people.