Mr McGAURAN (Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) (3:07 PM) —In the event that there is anybody in the House or listening who is under any illusion, this project never proceeded. It is that simple. This project did not proceed, on the basis that due diligence was observed and it did not meet the standards of the program. It is as simple as that. So the Labor Party's concocted rage, whipping themselves up into a fury, is only an act to disguise and shroud a special event today, it being the first anniversary of the election of the member for Werriwa as Leader of the Opposition. On behalf of government members, I warmly congratulate him on that significant milestone and may there be many more.

But, to return to the matter at hand, the simple fact is that the project's intention was to assist dairy farmers by obtaining for them a higher farmgate return. That was the starting point of this project, which did not proceed because, when due diligence was observed, it did not meet the criteria of the program. What has this all been about? Is this a debate? Is this an attempt to censure a government minister about a project that never came about, that failed the due diligence and probity requirements administered by the same minister? No, of course it is not. It is a poor and transparent attempt to lift morale in the opposition, to try to leave the parliament on a Thursday evening with a spring in their steps, having had some sort of encouraging news. But nothing can disguise the pall of despair that has descended upon the Australian Labor Party from their own mouths.

It is not as if any member of the government has been taking advantage of all of the connotations of this one-year anniversary of the Leader of the Opposition. His own colleagues do it for us and do it to him. Nobody could say it better than the member for Lyons, who, on his way into the House earlier today, said that if Labor is still well behind in the polls next year the caucus might have to reassess its support for the Leader of the Opposition. I quote: `There's no guarantee, of course. Who knows what happens in that time. He's been on a pretty strong learning curve, I think.' Or, better still, the member for Grayndler's comment, which the Treasurer referred to but is worth repeating. It is going to be one of the all-time greats, this quote. He said on radio: `I think it's been a good year except for the election.' I do not know what happened to the other 10½ months. It must have been a fool's paradise that you were all living in, because the election is what mattered in the last 12 months and in the last three years.

Even a supposedly strong ally, the member for Lalor, is somewhat restrained in her support for the Leader of the Opposition—why do you have to keep talking to the media, anyway, on your way in? As someone who lived through 13 years of opposition and more than a few leadership changes, I would say it is better to avoid the media on special occasions like this anniversary. The member for Lalor said: `It was a devastating defeat. We are still emotionally, I think, recovering from a devastating election defeat. I think the election result was an election result that he, the Leader of the Opposition, made a real difference to.' Yes, he did make a real difference to the election result, but not as perhaps the member for Lalor intended to convey. It was a negative influence rather than a positive. She went on to say, without, I hope, any sense of irony, let alone sarcasm: `I think Mark Latham has worked a miracle since this time last year.'

I think we had better go to the Oxford Dictionary to define `miracle', because miracles normally bring about rewards and achievements and give you hope for the future; there is something optimistic about a miracle—everything that is not in the minds of opposition members at present. My heart goes out to them as sincerely as it possibly can because I also suffered many down times in opposition, but the point is you have got to return to policy. It has been something that the Treasurer and others have mentioned more than once: you have got to do the hard work, and you are not doing the hard work by setting up cheap stunts like you have just engaged in. There is no case to answer, on the basis that the project did not proceed.

The SPEAKER —The member for Corio is warned!

Mr McGAURAN —Moreover, as the Deputy Prime Minister stated regarding the employment of Mr Ken Crooke—this is extraordinarily important with regard to the allegations made against Mr Ken Crooke and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs: `Documentation confirms that Mr Ken Crooke had ended any commercial relationship with A2 Milk at the time of his employment with the parliamentary secretary, the Honourable De-Anne Kelly. During his employment with Mrs Kelly, he received no ongoing payment from A2 Milk.'

So what is the allegation against the minister? The project never continued. Documentation is provided to show that Mr Ken Crooke was not receiving any payment and was not in any commercial relationship with A2 Milk. What is the tactic of the opposition? Is it to establish their economic credentials? No, I do not think so. How many questions have we had from the shadow Treasurer today or, in fact, over the course of the week? How many questions did the shadow Treasurer or the much-touted new omnipresent shadow minister for industry, manufacturing and all associated activities ask this week? But a handful, at a time of enormous economic importance to the nation. So, if the opposition sees its way back to office or to credibility as—

Mr Martin Ferguson —How many announcements in your seat! Twenty! Twenty rorts in your seat!

Mr McGAURAN —The member for Batman asks me about Gippsland. That reminds me of the day during the election campaign when the member for Hunter came to the Latrobe Valley and, together with the candidate for Gippsland and the then sitting member for McMillan, the recently departed Christian Zahra, announced a $155 million power station. Oh, no, this was not a $5,000 grant, or $500,000, $5 million or $50 million; this was a $155 million power station. There was no proponent, no technology, no program, no application, no press release. I asked the journalist who attended the member for Hunter's doorstop whether I could have a copy of the press release so I could know the basis of this $155 million announcement, and there was no press release. There was no program, there was no applicant, there was no technology, yet there was a $155 million announcement, which made a big splash politically.

I have to acknowledge the member for Hunter's intervention in the McMillan and Gippsland campaigns. But it did not work. Neither of the Labor candidates for McMillan or Gippsland are here today. We want to know on what basis that $155 million announcement was made—made without any preparation, except for political desperation. Do you see the difference between the Labor Party and its rank hypocrisy, and the government's guidelines, probity and checks? A project does not proceed, and the minister is criticised. The minister is also criticised for the employment of an individual whereby documentation shows he had no commercial relationship with the proponent. Moreover, the project was aimed at assisting dairy farmers before it was discontinued.

Quite frankly, everybody who is fair, balanced or objective can see that this stunt by the Labor Party is all about its internal workings. It is a party despairing of its future but refusing to learn the lessons of history. Where are the economic questions, where are the economic debates? Every MPI this week chosen by the Labor Party should have been on economic issues. At a time when the Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Trade are forging new trade opportunities in ASEAN in historic terms, the Labor Party is silent. It is silent on issues of great national importance and on economic management. Instead, you chase rabbits down burrows. You bring further discredit on yourselves, and you give your leader no cheer on his 12-month celebration.

The SPEAKER —Order! The time allotted for this discussion has expired.

Question put: