Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

We are a country that understands the importance of giving tax breaks to low-income earners and companies, of stimulating our economy. This is a government that is proud of the fact that we have created 770,000 jobs since we came to office, including 100,000 in the last year. But the hypocrisy: while they were out there voting against all this, this is what they say about regional infrastructure. Today's paper in Gladstone, where we have announced a fast-tracking of funding for the Calliope crossroads, had this to say about the member for Flynn:

Mr O'Dowd said the announcement was a direct result of representations by himself …

I checked the records. He has not written me a letter. He has not had a meeting. He has not picked up a phone. I know who he is vaguely but I have never had a conversation with him in my life. I do not plan to have one soon, because this is the sort of pathetic performance they have of opposing all the funding. They oppose everything, but then they try and get their snouts in the trough to get every bit of funding they can. Then they claim credit for it. We have two years to go, two years of the relentless negativity of the Leader of the Opposition. The game is up. Your backbench know it and pretty soon you will know it too.

Question put:

That the motion (Mr Abbott's) be agreed to.

The House divided. [14:57]

(The Speaker—Mr Harry Jenkins)

Question negatived.

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