James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

It is Mr Dutton, it is Senator Cash, it is Senator Paterson, it is Mr Tehan who are setting the agenda, because they understand that the No. 1 job of this government—of any government—is to keep Australians safe. But this government is not doing that. It is the opposition that is setting the agenda. It is the opposition that is toughening up the government's weak laws, because what we have been seeing this week and last week and the week before is a catastrophic failure when it comes to protecting Australians, and that is shameful.

It is a shameful reflection upon those who sit around the cabinet table. It is a shameful reflection upon this government that you aren't keeping Australians safe—that you aren't keeping Australia safe. So this opposition, this coalition of the Liberal and National parties, will proudly move the amendments to toughen up this legislation. We'll proudly, as we have done this afternoon, bring on this legislation for debate because we want Australia to be safe. We want Australians to be safe. I encourage those in this chamber to support the amendments being moved by Senator Cash because, under this Labor government, rapists, murderers, paedophiles and a contract killer are wandering the streets of Australia. The question I put to my fellow Australians is: do you feel safer today than you did a week ago, a month ago or under the previous coalition government? Australians aren't feeling safer.