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Monday, 27 February 2012
Page: 780

Labor Party Leadership

Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (14:19): My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Evans. Is the minister familiar with the fundamental constitutional principle that the legitimacy of a Prime Minister depends upon having the support of a majority of the House of Representatives? Given that the Prime Minister does not have the support of 31 of the government's own members, including that of at least a quarter of her cabinet, and only has the support of, at best, a third of the members of the House of Representatives, when will she do the right thing, call upon the Governor-General, request a dissolution and allow the people to sort out the political debacle which the Australian Labor Party has created?

Senator CHRIS EVANS (Western Australia—Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:20): It does not matter how much Senator Brandis puffs himself up and tries to pretend he is a constitutional lawyer, the reality is he is saying, 'It's not fair we lost the last election and can we please be given government?' Well, Senator Brandis, I have got some bad news for you. This government has been successful, despite being in a minority in the House of Representatives, at passing legislation and governing. What today's leadership ballot showed is the Prime Minister had very, very strong support inside the Labor Party caucus room. It was a very strong result that the Prime Minister received in the caucus meeting.

What we do know is that this government has been able to govern successfully and pass major legislation through the parliament despite not having a majority in its own right on the floor of the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister continues to have the complete confidence not only of the Labor Party caucus but also of the Independents and the Greens on the floor of the House of Representatives. Senator Brandis well knows that that situation continues—that the government is able to command a majority on the floor of the parliament and is a legitimate government.

We will continue to run our reform agenda, continue to govern in the interests of all Australians and continue to take on the tough issues that the Liberal-National Party coalition wants to duck—tough issues like putting a price on carbon; tough issues like ensuring the mining boom's proceeds are distributed across the Australian public and that we all benefit from that boom. We will continue to focus on those issues and we will continue to deliver strong and effective government for the Australian people. Quite frankly, Senator Brandis's question reflects the Liberal Party desperation. (Time expired)

Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (14:22): Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Following the tirade of accusations and counteraccusations by Ms Gillard, Mr Rudd, Mr Swan, Mr Crean, Mr Burke, Ms Roxon, Dr Emerson, Mr Bowen, Mr McClelland, Senator Conroy, Senator Carr, Senator Bishop, Senator Cameron and many others in the course of the past week, how can the Australian people trust a government whose own members make no secret of the fact that they do not and cannot trust one another?

Senator Cameron: What did you call John Howard?

Senator CHRIS EVANS (Western Australia—Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:23): Mr President, Senator Cameron's interjection is a most appropriate one.

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT: Order! On both sides. I need to be able to hear the answer.

Senator CHRIS EVANS: Mr President, on this occasion Senator Cameron's interjection is appropriate, if not orderly. He rightly reminds us that Senator Brandis is the last one to be asking this sort of question. As I understand it, he described the former Prime Minister as a 'lying rodent'. And I understand he voted for Mr Turnbull over Mr Abbott, and we might recall that that was a ballot which was won by one vote. So one does have to question the legitimacy and confidence in Mr Abbott when he can only win a ballot inside his party room by one vote.

I think that before Senator Brandis raises these sorts of issues he had better examine his own record in this respect. Again, this highlights the fact that the Liberal opposition are not focused on the issues of importance to the Australian people and that they are not focused on the issues of jobs and the strength of the economy. Really, they do those who voted for them a great disservice. (Time expired)

Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (14:24): Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that the dysfunction, paralysis and hatred at the heart of the Rudd and Gillard governments have been publicly exposed by several of the most senior members of those governments, how could the Australian people have any confidence that the affairs of the nation can ever be conducted competently by these ministers or by any Labor government?

Senator CHRIS EVANS (Western Australia—Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:24): The Australian people can be absolutely confident that this government is focused on the things that are important to them. We are focused on the economy, we are focused on creating jobs, we are focused on improving the education system and we are focused on health reform and making sure that our hospitals deliver for the Australian people.

We are focused on the things that are important to Australian families, and it is a shame that the Liberal opposition have, again, nothing to say about those important issues. Their plans for Australia are to rip money out of education and to rip money out of health so they can give it back to Rio and to BHP. That is their plan! They are going to slash and burn $70 billion out of the budget in order to repay the mining tax to Rio and BHP, who are recording record profits. That is what the Liberal Party have to offer the Australian people. We will continue to focus on the issues that are important to the Australian people.