Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister recalled us all to this place in order to debate issues of national significance, but just 12 hours later we are left with the farce of having no legislation—absolutely nothing—left before either house of the parliament. Today became the Seinfeld sitting—the sitting about nothing. You could have played the Seinfeld theme music instead of the division bells throughout this morning, it was such a farce.

The evidence was everywhere. This morning in the coalition party room those opposite held their very own edition of Festivus, complete with the airing of grievances. We heard eight coalition members of parliament, including the members for Dawson and Leichhardt, speaking in support of the Labor opposition—soon to be government—proposal to have a royal commission into the banking sector. You can only imagine the Prime Minister's infamous impatience with his colleagues growing by the moment as he muttered slowly to himself, 'Serenity now! Serenity now!'

Smash cut to the Abbott-Turnbull government's very own Cosmo Kramer, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who has involved himself in some kind of a bizarre caper involving a dog, Johnny Depp and a close approximation of a hostage video. The Treasurer, the Costanza of the show, when considering Labor's housing affordability policy reminds himself, 'Just remember: it's not a lie if you really believe it.'

This farce, this comedy show, is the set piece sitting week that was supposed to launch the Turnbull government's re-election campaign. The PM said that this week would be a week of serious parliamentary debate. What a shambles. It leaves me asking, 'What is it with Malcolm Turnbull saying one thing and doing another?'