Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. On Saturday, the now Prime Minister heaped praise on the member for Warringah, saying that he had achieved, 'great things, great reforms, great commitments,' during his time as Prime Minister. Given the Prime Minister's admiration for the member for Warringah's great achievements, why did the Prime Minister overthrow the member for Warringah for the top job just four weeks ago?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted that the Leader of the Opposition, showing his gallantry, has given me the opportunity once again to praise the member for Warringah—a Prime Minister and a leader who took us out of opposition, took on the Labor Party, brought to an end the six worst years of government in living history in this country, brought to an end the most dysfunctional government in Australia's history, brought to an end a period of reckless spending and dysfunctional management, and brought in a coalition government. We have done great things together. We have fulfilled our election pledges of abolishing the carbon tax, and we have—and we will come back to this, no doubt, in this question time—been able to once again restore the security of our borders.

I well remember the days in 2009, when I was the opposition leader, arguing with Kevin Rudd, the then Prime Minister. I remember the Labor Party then saying that our domestic policy was irrelevant. I remember that. We begged the Labor Party not to change John Howard's policy, and you did—50,000 arrivals since, thousands dead at sea, billions of dollars spent and endless misery occasioned by Labor misrule. The member for Warringah brought all that to an end, and he made great changes. The trade agreements are a tribute to his leadership. So I say to the Leader of the Opposition that we are proud of the member for Warringah; I am proud, as Prime Minister, to honour my predecessor.