Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The President has received the following letter from Senator Hanson:

Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The need for the Senate to express a vote of no confidence in the Albanese Labor Government due to its broken promises and multiple failures to deliver for the Australian people on everything from national security to cost of living pressures."

Is the proposal supported?

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

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

I move:

That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The need for the Senate to express a vote of no confidence in the Albanese Labor Government due to its broken promises and multiple failures to deliver for the Australian people on everything from national security to cost of living pressures.

Back in 2017 I was in a delegation to India with other parliamentarians, including the current Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. I learnt quite a bit about him and his leadership style, and my assessment back then was that he was a nice bloke but no leader. Since last year's election, my assessment has been proven correct. I have no confidence in the Albanese Labor government. The Prime Minister is unfit to lead and Labor is unfit to govern this nation. They are controlled by unions and by the anti-Australian Greens. They pursue policies which directly harm the Australian people and the national economy. Their list of failure, neglect and incompetence is a long one in only 18 months.

Their obsession with climate change and renewables is directly responsible for the record energy bills hurting Australian families and businesses, not to mention transmission lines on farming land. This obsession is well on the way to killing our mining and farming industries, our economic mainstays, which support regional communities and much of the taxpayer funded services Australians take for granted. They're also attacking farmers by taking more water from the communities in the Murray-Darling Basin, shutting down live exports, and polluting agricultural land with renewables or locking it up for nature repair. If you think your groceries are expensive now, just wait.

Labor's incompetence has seen the release of dangerous criminals, three of whom have already been arrested for more alleged crimes, into the community. One hundred and forty-seven have been released or are about to be released, despite the fact that the High Court's decision on extended detention related to only one of them. The government jumped the gun after they were caught with their pants down, and their only response is to blame the former government. People smugglers also have heard the message loud and clear, with a boat actually reaching the Australian mainland a few weeks ago. Immigration is out of control, with record numbers driving inflation and the national housing and rental crisis.

The PM sowed division in Australia with his disastrous campaign for a Voice to Parliament, wasting $450 million At least his divisive referendum exposed the failure of the $40 billion-per-year Aboriginal industry to close the gaps. Labor refuses to investigate and audit this industry to get to the bottom of why it has failed Indigenous Australians in genuine need.

Labor has made the family law system even more one-sided against fathers by removing shared parental responsibility, and it is failing men across a range of issues It has done absolutely nothing to address the epidemic of male suicide, which in the past year has claimed the lives of more than 2,500 men and boys. The PM has a Minister for Women and even an Assistant Minister for the Republic, which doesn't exist, but not a minister for men. Go figure.

Labor refuses to support an inquiry into the huge increase in the number of children being treated for gender dysphoria with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Say no more.

Labor has given the chop to critical infrastructure projects that would improve road safety and water security. It hasn't reduced spending; it's just moved money around and held projects hostage against favourable state election outcomes, especially in Queensland.

Australians are hurting from the cost-of-living crisis. Virtually everything costs more than it did in May last year, when the Albanese Labor government was elected, including groceries, fuel, energy, rents, mortgages and insurance.

These costs just keep going up and there's no end in sight. On average, mortgagees are paying over $20,000 more per year on their home loans as the RBA desperately tries to rein in this inflation.

Labor has made a sport of disrespecting this parliament, the seat of democracy and the people's elected representatives. They've rammed through laws heavy with negative consequences for the economy, national security and the cost of living, giving the people's representatives virtually no time to review them, and I can vouch for that. When I don't get the legislation and you put it on the floor and I have no idea what is going to happen here and you expect us to vote on it, you have no respect for the chambers or the other members in parliament, especially the crossbench. That's why there was my notice of motion.

I have no confidence in the PM or his government, and increasing numbers of Australians agree. They're actually calling for a fresh election now. If you think he's a great leader, call an election and see how the people feel about this. As I said, this is the worst government I have ever seen in parliament under four prime ministers.

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The problem with this One Nation motion is that the Liberals and the Nationals say one thing about the cost of living but their actions say the exact opposite, and that's what this One Nation motion goes to the heart of. They come here and talk about the cost of living, but when we introduce bills for laws to relieve those measures, they vote against them.

Labor introduced an emergency energy bill relief plan to reduce power bills by $230 per year. The Liberals and Nationals voted against it. Labor invested $10 billion in new affordable housing. The Liberals and Nationals voted against it. Labor introduced laws for 60-day prescriptions, saving people millions of dollars on prescription costs. The Liberals and Nationals voted against it. Labor increased the rate of JobSeeker by $40 a fortnight. The Liberals and Nationals voted against it. Labor set up 300,000 people to go to TAFE for free. We sent them there for free, and the Liberals and Nationals said it was a waste of money. Labor made the biggest investment in bulk-billing in Australian history. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Dutton, led the biggest ever attack on bulk-billing when he was the health minister. He had a plan to introduce a GP tax for people to pay every time they saw the doctor.

Now, you've seen the pattern here. Every single week we come here to get more cost-of-living support out to working families, and every single week the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation come here to obstruct. Nowhere is that more obvious than when we talk about wages and conditions at work. We understand there are two parts to the cost of living: how much things cost and how much you earn. When it comes to making energy, medicine, GP visits, child care, TAFE and housing affordable, they oppose all of that. And when it comes to helping Australians get better paying and more secure jobs, they oppose that too.

We had a bill in this place last year that was literally called the secure jobs, better pay bill and the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation opposed it. What was so terrible about it? Why did they vote against it? The bill made it easier for employers and employees to make agreements that would increase wages. It ended the use of old agreements that expired years ago that trapped workers below the minimum wage. It put limits on the use of rolling fixed-term contracts for years at a time. It introduced a right to request flexible work. It made it illegal for employers to ban their workers from talking about their wages. It made it illegal to put up job ads for less than the minimum wage. These are all things the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation voted against.

The shadow workplace minister said:

We can now expect jobs will be lost … and large and small businesses will fold …

What actually happened? We have unemployment at record lows. Female employment and participation are at record highs. New job creation is at a record high. Wage growth is at a record high. So we know for a fact that the steps this government is taking are keeping more Australians in secure work and are delivering higher wages.

We want to go further. We want to close the loopholes that some employers like Qantas and BHP use to keep wages low. One Nation and the Nationals claim to represent coalminers in Queensland and the Hunter. But, at the same time, they are voting to keep the labour hire loophole open.

We saw in the House the member for Flynn, Colin Boyce, vote against same job, same pay for mine workers in his own area. We saw the member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry, vote against same job, same pay in her own area, abandoning her community. They are all spitting in the face of mine workers who are being ripped off by the richest companies in Australia. Will One Nation and the National senators for Queensland do the same thing when the bill comes here?

Dwayne Arnold, who works through labour hire at the Grosvenor mine and is a fourth-generation mine worker, told the closing loopholes inquiry:

… I'm still paid quite substantially less than the permanent employees. It makes you feel worthless and undervalued when you're doing the same job and getting paid that much less for it …

(Time expired)

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

When I look at those who are sitting around the cabinet table, I think there are a lot of villages missing their village idiots. You're looking at the hapless halfwits who are attempting to run this country at the moment. When I speak to my fellow Queenslanders, I think, 'I wouldn't trust these people to operate a toaster, a kettle, a remote control', because—guess what?—they wouldn't be able to do it.

The interjections start like seagulls coming in for the chips. I'll throw out the chips to those Labor people over there, because that's all they can do. All they can do is shout and interject. It comes down to the simple fact that Australians do not have confidence in this government. They do not have confidence in this government, which is not keeping Australians safe, because—guess what?—the fourth person who was released 10 days ago has now been arrested. It's up to four! Congratulations, Labor. You're stuffing up the economy and now you're making sure that Australians do not feel safe at home because of your failure to—

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath, resume your seat. Senator Bilyk?

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've been told previously that 'stuffing up' is an unparliamentary term. I ask you to ask Senator McGrath to withdraw that.

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath, it would assist the chamber.

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

I withdraw. Labor, in a ham-fisted way, are completely messing up the economy. They're like a bunch of toddlers who've been given a very expensive tractor and are just sitting there drooling, wondering what to do with it. Then, of course, they'll press a button and break it all up. This is the damage that the Labor Party are causing to the economy, and this is quite serious because we're in a cost-of-living crisis.

What did the Labor Party do? They had a cunning plan. Like Baldrick out of Black Adder, it was a cunning plan that didn't really work. Prime Minister Albanese's cunning plan was to spend half a billion dollars on a referendum that would divide Australians on the basis of race. This was going to be the defining moment of Prime Minister Albanese's political career—

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

His legacy.

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

His legacy. Everybody would come together. Like a Roman Caesar being crowned, he would be the one true ruler of this continent. Sadly, he forgot to think about what the Australian people might think of his quite bonkers plan to divide Australians on the basis of race, and they, sensibly, voted no to it.

Like Ozymandias—from Tennyson, I think it was, Senator Scarr—in terms of 'look down and despair', we have a Prime Minister who bet everything on the Voice getting up. And when he woke up on 15 October with a political hangover, there was no plan B. There was no plan C, D, E, F or G. There was no other plan. What's clearly happened is that they've had to go to some focus groups. They've gotten Labor Party secretariats to do some focus groups to find out: What does middle Australia think? What are they thinking about? Three words have come in—three words that were not mentioned before 14 October—cost of living. You didn't need to spend money on focus groups. You didn't need to waste half a billion dollars on a referendum. The No. 1 issue since Labor has come to power has been the cost of living, because we've had 12 interest rate rises.

We have high inflation and we do not have real wages growth in this country. This is happening under a Labor government who promised to make life better for people. But my question and my challenge to anyone who is listening to this today is: do you feel better off today than you did 18 months ago? You don't. Do you feel safer today than 18 months ago, knowing that this Labor government has released murderers, rapists, sex offenders and a contract killer out into the streets of this country? And the question people will be asking—

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Polley?

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is that the motion before the chair is not the issue that the good senator is addressing. We know we have a wideranging view on motions, but he's not speaking to the motion.

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've been listening to the senator. I believe that the senator is being relevant enough to the question.

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

I thank the senator for that interjection because it just proves Labor are a little bit touchy about this issue because they know the Australian people are turning on them. They know the Australian people have no confidence in those people who sit around the cabinet table and those people who sit on the Labor backbenches. Australians want a government who will deliver for them on cost of living and who'll keep them safe. What they have instead is a Prime Minister who prefers to spend his time overseas wheeling and dealing with the big deals rather than spending time in Australia understanding the concerns of middle Australia and acting on those concerns. So of course the Australian people have no confidence in this Labor government, and of course we should support a motion that sends a message to this government, which is, quite frankly: be better. Guess what their answer is? They want more politicians. No, we need better politicians and we need more common sense. (Time expired)

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hanson for raising this urgency motion, which I obviously wholeheartedly support. The Albanese Labor government have truly—and I do mean truly—lost the confidence of the Australian people and lost the confidence of those in this chamber that have a brain between their ears.

Charles Dickens summed up the Albanese government perfectly when he said:

… it was the worst of times, … it was the age of foolishness, … it was the season of Darkness, … it was the winter of despair …

That's what he said. Or, as the front page headline of yesterday's West Australian newspaper declared, 'Everything is f*cked'. That's a quote that was on the newspaper. The headline was crude—I'll admit that—but the fact that the editor even believed that he could get away with it in the first place tells you where public sentiment is at right now with this government.

If there has been a more chaotic government in this country's history, Mr Kevin Rudd would love to hear about it. If there has been a more economically clueless government in this country's history, Gough Whitlam is all ears. This Albanese government—or, as the Chinese have taken to calling it, 'the handsome boy administration'—makes Whitlam look like a fiscal conservative and makes Rudd look like a strategic genius. That's what it does. This government is so bad that people are even nostalgic about the Gillard government. Those were the days: the Gillard government!

This government promised lower electricity prices. What did we get? We got higher prices. They promised cheaper mortgages. What did we get? Eighteen months and 12 rate rises—that's what we got—and thousands of Australians becoming homeless every single month. This government promised us that they had a plan. To do what? They had a plan to lower the cost of living. What did we get? Grocery prices that require people to sell their firstborn child to pay the bill at the check-out. This government promised higher wages.

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk?

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order. I'm actually really offended by the fact that you're talking about people selling their firstborn children. I'm very offended by that. I take very personal, deep offence to that comment, and I would like it withdrawn at once.

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk, thank you. You've made your point of order.

Senator Bilyk! Senator Babet, it would assist the chamber if you would withdraw the comment.

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't think I will withdraw that, because the Senate is a place for robust debate, and that's what is happening right now.

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Babet, I've taken advice from the Clerk. I've asked you to withdraw; therefore, you are required to withdraw.

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. I will not withdraw.

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Babet, I'm advised by the Clerk that, as I have requested that you withdraw, you need to withdraw. Otherwise, it's open to me to withdraw the call from you.

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What I'd like to hear, Acting Deputy President, is an explanation as to why—

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Babet, this is not a point for debate.

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Alright—if it pleases the chamber, I'm happy to withdraw. I want to move on. Can I continue?

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have the call.

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, thank you, thank you. This government promised higher wages, but what did we get? It was the biggest income decline in the developed world. That's what we got. It was the largest fall in living standards in any advanced economy over the past year. This government promised it would fix the housing crisis. What did we get? It was record immigration numbers. More and more people are coming into this country, and we can't even put a roof over the heads of the people that are already here. That's what they've done. This government promised a royal commission? What did we get? Where's the royal commission into the pandemic response? We got a whitewashed COVID inquiry with no teeth, designed to cover up the failings of this political class, who wouldn't even support my inquiry into excess mortality.

This government promised no new taxes on your hard-earned super. What did we get? We got a doubling of the concessional tax rate on some superannuation accounts and the taxing of unrealised gains. This government promised us that they would bring the country together and bring Australians together. What did we get? We got a socially divisive referendum that attempted to divide us by race. That cost hundreds of millions of dollars. That's what we got. This government promised a kinder, gentler, more respectful tone. What did we get? We got Labor ministers defaming the Leader of the Opposition as a paedophile protector. That's what we got. We got a Prime Minister who dismisses those with questions as nothing but chicken littles. That's what we got.

I'm almost out of time. I haven't even touched on the energy crisis, the infrastructure crisis, the multiple foreign affairs bungles, the hopeless state of our Defence Force, the epic unsustainability of the NDIS, the war on small business, our woke educational system or the legislated theft of wages from casual employees. What is this Labor government? It is a ship without a rudder at sea in one of the most turbulent times in modern history. To be blunt, this government is a disaster. That's what it is. I and many other Australians have no confidence in this government's ability to do anything apart from make it worse.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I say that, in the 15 years I've been in this place, I have not seen alleged debate reduced to a base as low as I've just seen. I'm absolutely disgusted that there was even a debate with the Acting Deputy President over whether that comment would be withdrawn or not. To all those people that may not have their firstborn children alive—whose children didn't get to come home from hospital, like mine didn't—can I say: please ignore the previous speaker.

With this urgency motion, Senator Hanson seeks to criticise the Albanese government's record on addressing cost-of-living pressures. But, in doing so, she has conveniently forgotten and ignored the origins of those pressures.

If you want to know the origin of the cost-of-living crisis, you simply have to look at the record of the previous government. Annual inflation was 4.9 per cent in October, but we inherited an annual inflation rate of 6.1 per cent from the previous government. The highest quarterly inflation rate in recent history, 2.1 per cent, was in the March quarter of 2022, when the Liberal-National coalition was in power. To get an understanding of why prices are high and why so many households are struggling, you just have to look at the legacy of those opposite. Under the previous government, we saw almost a decade of inaction on addressing the cost pressures facing Australian households; record low wage growth; wasteful spending, which fed inflation; and a failure to address dwindling housing supply. Those opposite made this mess, and of course it has fallen to Labor to clean it up.

We understand that people are hurting. We understand that people are doing it tough, and we have a $23 billion cost-of-living relief package that was carefully targeted and calibrated to address the cost-of-living pressures without putting upward pressure on inflation. With this package, we're delivering energy bill relief, we're making childcare cheaper, we're making medicines cheaper, we're tripling the bulk-billing incentives to make it easier to see a bulk-billing doctor, we're delivering the largest-ever increase in rent assistance, we're easing the pressure on single parents by raising the age cut-off for parenting payment, we're expanding paid parental leave, we're building more social and affordable housing and we're getting wages moving again. We're also putting downward pressure on inflation, through responsible economic management, and this has been confirmed by several independent commentators, such as Fitch Ratings, the IMF, the OECD and the Reserve Bank governor.

If the opposition truly cared about the pressure on Australian households, rather than coming in here and making disgusting comments, they would support our cost-of-living measure. But what do the opposition do? The opposition say no. We've all heard that line 'The computer says no.' Well, guess what? The opposition say no. They say no to everything. The energy bill relief measure they opposed prevented electricity bills from rising by a further 10 per cent. Australian households and businesses might like to reflect on that when they hear the opposition complain about high electricity prices. The coalition's approach would see these bills 10 per cent higher than they are now.

While we see wages starting to get moving again thanks to our policies, we hear those opposite complain that they're not moving fast enough. This is from an opposition that, when they were in government, admitted that they deliberately kept wages low. I was in this room when the statement was made. They deliberately kept wages low. So don't be fooled by those opposite coming in here getting all uptight. As I said, it wasn't a debate; it was a yelling match, of not much interest to me, except for the line that I heard that I was offended by. But, seriously, on the opposition side you've got the memories of little goldfish.

Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm offended!

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You can take offence. I'm happy for you to take offence. Take offence. I'm happy to withdraw if you're offended, but you have to stand up and say you're offended, not just pull a funny face at me. I've been here 15 years. People have sat on the opposite side to me and pulled funny faces at me for 15 years.

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk, just a reminder to direct your comments through the chair, please.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry; through the chair. People interject, people pull funny faces and people make baseless comments. I heard Senator Rennick today comment about how easy it is in government to come in and make weird claims. I can't remember the exact quote, but I am going to look up Hansard and get it, because I think it's a really useful— (Time expired)

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

As a servant to the people of Queensland and Australia, I listen to people from across our country. Many are hurting because of the skyrocketing cost of living due to record immigration, with 2.3 million people in Australia on visas—there are 100,000 student beds, yet the Albanese government issued a record 687,000 student visas in one year—as well as skyrocketing house prices, with foreign owners buying and locking up homes; green jackboots suppressing builders and suppliers; and ESG choking companies. People in Gladstone, Bundaberg and other regional towns and cities are living in cars, in caravans, in tents and under bridges. There are skyrocketing rental rates, if people can find a rental. High inflation is destroying wealth and being a tax—inflation due to printing money and splashing cash and to supply side restrictions.

There are high energy prices, due to solar and wind. All countries with high proportions of solar and wind have very high electricity prices. Plus there'll be the future $60 billion in additional costs for transmission lines to hook the solar and wind into the grid that has not been budgeted for.

One Nation raises solutions to meet people's basic needs, like cutting immigration to zero, net; ending foreign ownership of property; ending net zero electricity policies; stopping endless money-printing and cash-splashes. Labor responds with ridicule, showing contempt for people's needs. This destroys confidence in the government.

We're on a highway to hell because Anthony Albanese has not grown into the prime ministership. He still acts as though selfies, music-band T-shirts and empty symbols are substitutes for thoughtful governance and hard work. They're not.

In proposing his recent Voice referendum, his arguments were shallow and condescending. He offered only a vibe and an emotion. His government tried to con the people.

This is not leadership; it's floundering. This is not governance—

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Roberts. Senator Urquhart, on a point of order?

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the senator is actually impugning by saying what he said about the Prime Minister, and I would ask him to withdraw that.

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, perhaps if you could clarify your comments and then continue your remarks, noting the point of order that we've heard?

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

Certainly. I said that his government has tried to con the people, not him.

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please continue, Senator Roberts.

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

This is not leadership; it's floundering. This is not governance; it's deceitful irresponsibility. This is not transparency and consultation; it's dodging scrutiny. This destroys confidence in the government.

Look at their legislation processes that are bankrupt. Last week's water amendment bill entered the House of Representatives with 31 amendments, from the government; plus 20 amendments in the Senate, from the government—a total of 51 government amendments to its own bill—plus crossbenchers' and Liberals' amendments, for a total of 69 amendments. Consultation? Hah!

The Identity Verification Services Bill 2023 was suddenly sprung on the Senate in a deal between the globalists in Labor and the globalists in the Liberals. It includes provisions for facial recognition of every Australian 16 years or older going about their everyday life, including in travel, using ATMs, in supermarkets for shopping, driving their car, in financial services—everything. It's a basis for Labor's digital identity bill that they rushed into the Senate—again, hiding from scrutiny. They were trying to rush the IR bill next, then delaying passage of what Labor said were four urgent schedules.

There was Minister Burke falsely creating the dishonest label 'closing loopholes' to hide the Hunter Mining and Energy Union's complicity in aiding some labour hire firms in Australia's largest-ever wage theft, worth billions of dollars; protecting the Fair Work Commission for blatant breaches of law in approving the Mining and Energy Union enterprise agreements enabling systemic wage theft; protecting the Fair Work Ombudsman for using a fraudulent document covering up the Mining and Energy Union's enterprise agreement systemic wage theft. They're throwing workers to the wolves and hiding mates and donors from scrutiny.

There's the nature repair bill—the arrogance! The Greens stated they were opposed, clearly. Yet the Greens now support the bill because Labor agreed to allow the Greens to move amendments to the EPBC Act. The Greens support Labor's disastrous bill in return for Labor's support for the disastrous Greens amendments to an existing law that is not before the Senate—without debate. They're hiding political mates and bosses from scrutiny.

During deceitful COVID mismanagement, Liberal and Labor governments used Labor state premiers to steal basic human rights and freedoms. The Australian Bureau of Statistics data confirms that COVID injections killed tens of thousands of people—homicide! Livelihoods and homes were lost due to injection mandates. Health bureaucrats, with plenty to hide, dig in. And what does Labor do? It covers up, and that makes them complicit. Prime Minister Albanese breaks his royal commission promise to instead propose a whitewash to cover up the Labor states' mismanagement and deceit—hiding political mates from scrutiny.

In practice, the Albanese Labor government seeks to suppress, silence and control. That's why people have lost confidence in Prime Minister Albanese and his government. Remember the Rudd slide and the Gillard slide? After just 18 months, the media is already referring to the even steeper Albanese slide. That's why the people have lost confidence in this government.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Hanson be agreed to.