Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak briefly on a subject that may surprise some. In fact, I am here today to make a concession. It is this: I was wrong about our Prime Minister, Tony Abbott. He is actually a genius. Yes, there it is. I said it. I admit that I was mistaken about this man and that I should rethink various comments that I have made in this chamber. I admit that I was wrong when I said a little under a year ago that Tony Abbott was 'neglecting our younger generations' by repealing the Clean Energy Finance Corporation Act. I should also retract a comment I made during an adjournment speech in May last year when I said that I would vomit if I heard him use the words 'fair dinkum' one more time. The comment that I really feel bad about occurred in July this year when I was speaking on the repeal of the clean energy legislation. I definitely should not have said:

Our Prime Minister is like the kid in class who not only does not understand what is being taught but feels compelled to convey his ignorance to everyone around him to get attention.

What is worse is that I should not have followed that comment with:

I really wish that, instead of trying to grapple with the fundamentals of climate change policy, he would just sit in the corner and eat Play-Doh and leave this to others—because every time he speaks on climate change everyone in the room listening becomes a little bit dumber.

The reason I am sorry is that I underestimated our Prime Minister—he is actually, as I said, a genius. This only dawned on me over the weekend when I observed the G20 proceedings in Bris Vegas. Only a genius would realise that he could forge closer relations with President Putin by initially threatening to 'shirtfront' him but then sharing a koala cuddle instead. You see, our Prime Minister instinctively knew that President Putin would appreciate some college boy frat house trash talk. He did not follow up with any actual harsh words for Putin about MH17. That was not because he lacked the clout and mettle to do so; it was just because he was engaging in high-level, sophisticated koala diplomacy. It is a new thing, you see.

Likewise, only a genius would realise that he could boost President Obama's standing at home in the United States by allowing him to shine at the G20. You see, our Prime Minister is savvy. He knows that the Democrats have just taken a shellacking in the congressional mid-terms and that the President is facing criticism for being a lame-duck leader. He knew that. That is why he sought to steer proceedings away from commitments to tackling climate change. That is why he refused to promise any contribution to the global climate fund. He knew that President Obama and President Xi Jinping were going to announce a landmark climate change deal setting ambitious new targets. Really, he was just positioning himself so that President Obama could point to another leader on the world stage at the G20 and say, 'You see, this is the sort of guy who refuses action on climate change. Do you want to be like this guy? Didn't think so, so please act now so that we can fight climate change together.' I am sure many Republicans are now reconsidering their stance and moving to cooperate with the President on emissions cuts as we speak.

Similarly, the Prime Minister's bizarre whinge to assembled global leaders about his difficulties in achieving unfair budget cuts was just a ploy. He was just trying to empathise with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has huge domestic political concerns. Abe has called a snap election to postpone a sales tax rise. It was pure genius from our Prime Minister—a world leader; a statesman; a man of foresight; a tactical mastermind. I am sorry, Prime Minister: in the words of George W Bush—a man whose intellect, insight and diplomatic proficiency you are obviously dedicated to imitating—I underestimated you. One thing I will say is that the Australian people have made up their mind about this Prime Minister. They have also made up their mind about this heartless, harsh budget.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They did, at the last election.

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fifield is a man who has no vision for his area of responsibility: aged care. This is a man who came into this chamber on 26 June last year without consulting the aged-care sector and scrapped the dementia supplement. We have been waiting months and months and months for his visionary leadership in aged care. This is why this government is bereft of any ideas, any solutions, any vision for aged care and how we are going to address both the short term and the longer term issues around staffing. Maybe I will have to wait until 26 June 2015 before he graces the Senate chamber with some sort of announcement. Under the previous Labor government we always had a minister for aged care and ageing. We believe that for the ageing issues confronting this country and the rest of the world it is worth having a dedicated minister who has the vision, the policy and the nous to consult with the sector and show leadership. It is not just me and Mr Neumann in the other place who are talking about these issues. These are real concerns that the aged-care sector have in this country about the lack of vision and the lack of commitment from this government and this minister. Maybe I will be wrong. Maybe when the minister is in Hobart on Friday he will make some sort of announcement and demonstrate that he actually does have some commitment to those of our population who are ageing. In the time I have been in this chamber I have learnt not to expect too much from those on the other side. They are a heartless government.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It being 2pm, the time for senators' statements has concluded.