Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, rise in support of the motion moved by Senator Roberts. I think the chamber would be well aware of a former prime minister who once said, 'When they start attacking you personally, they have run out of any argument when it comes to policy.' What we have seen today in the speech that was just given by no longer Senator Murray Watt but now Minister Murray Watt is that Senator Murray Watt seems to have forgotten that he now has 'minister' in his title. Having 'minister' in his title means that he must be accountable not just to the Australian Senate but to the Australian people.

The speech that was just given by Minister Watt had excuse after excuse after excuse for the Albanese government's failure in relation to foot-and-mouth disease. Excuses are one thing, but when you have to resort to personal attack after personal attack after personal attack—guess what—the Australian public might be interested to know. There have only been four question times since the Albanese government came to office. And in those four question times, I am aware that Senator Murray Watt, now Minister Murray Watt, has been written to on not just one occasion, by Senator Roberts; but on a second occasion, by Senator McKenzie; and on a third occasion, by me. Do you know why we had to write those letters, despite the fact that there have only been four question times since the Albanese government came to office? Because, when Minister Watt stands up and responds to questions, he misleads the chamber. As Senator McKenzie has said: if you mislead this chamber, convention dictates you come into this place at the earliest opportunity and you correct the record.

It's little wonder that, just four question times into the Albanese government's parliamentary foray, those on the other side in government—not on the side of the chamber; I don't believe on the crossbench; it might be the Australian Greens, but they can stand up if it is them—have coined the phrase, I kid you not, 'Misleading Murray'. At question time last Wednesday, at question time last Thursday, at question time on Monday of this week, at question time on Tuesday of this week—