Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. I refer to the Minister's denial yesterday that he described his cabinet colleagues as 'gutless'. Given that the footage has run nationally showing the minister saying, 'I think it's gutless that his colleagues leak from cabinet,' will he now correct the record?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Eric, your friend's calling. Have you taken him off speed dial yet?

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

Senator Conroy, that is disorderly.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, what I said and what I try to say on a clear and regular basis is that I made comment on the basis of principle, not on the basis of personality. My comment was that those people who provide unattributed comment—and that is the exact quote—

Senator Conroy interjecting—

I did not say, as you have falsely asserted, 'cabinet colleagues that make'; I said 'those that make unattributed comments', and that is a statement of principle by which I stand. And guess what, Mr President? The ABC—surprise, surprise—misquotes me. What a shock! That has never happened to me before!

I would say to the honourable Senator that it is no surprise that the ABC has clipped and snipped and tried to juxtapose two things in a manner that is not representative. What I said was that those who provide unattributed comments have certain character flaws, and that is what I stand by.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer to the minister's interjection yesterday in which he claimed that no-one in this chamber is responsible for the cabinet to leaks. So which of his cabinet colleagues in the House of Representatives is he pointing the finger at?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

None.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I remind the minister of his statement: 'Things are going exceptionally well.' Given that this parliamentary fortnight has seen a divided party room, the cabinet at war with itself, another captain's pick undone, and the leaking of both the cabinet agenda and the party room talking points, does he stand by his assertion that things are going exceptionally well?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since the election of the coalition government, in 2013, things have gone exceptionally well for 336,000 of our fellow Australians who are now in employment and would not have been, courtesy of an ongoing Labor government. That is an exceptionally good outcome for 336,000 Australians. What is more, Mr President, we have the outcome of three free trade agreements, which, when they come to their full fruition, will see about 178,000 new jobs created in Australia. For those 178,000 Australians, that will be good news, and it is good news. Our Northern Australia policy, our agriculture policy—all designed to create jobs. That is good news for our fellow Australians, but I accept that more needs to be done. (Time expired)

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—