Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I had the opportunity during the earlier take note of answers session to talk through some of the significant achievements of the coalition government over the last 17 months, so I will not go over them again, except to say that they are significant and we now need to build on those. Given the tenor of the MPI and some of the ridiculous statements we have heard from those opposite, you get a sense of a notion of projecting, because we have seen how they were in government. They are looking to project that chaos and dysfunction onto us.

In UK newspaper The Telegraph I found a nice summary and timeline of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years. They give an excellent summary of the real chaos and dysfunction, which is in stark contrast to what this government is about. I wanted to highlight it, because I think there is a lot of projecting here from the Labor party:

2010

June 23—Then deputy prime minister, Gillard challenges Rudd to a leadership ballot as his popularity plummets following a series of policy mis-steps including shelving an emissions trading scheme and skirmishes with the powerful mining industry over tax hikes.

June 24—Gillard goes on to win unopposed, with Rudd declining to contest the ballot. She quickly calls national elections.

August 21—The Labor party fails to win a majority, prompting Australia's first electoral deadlock in 70 years.

September 7—Minority lawmakers throw their support behind Gillard after lengthy negotiations, ensuring Labor's return to power with a fragile coalition. Gillard appoints Rudd as foreign minister.

2011

March 8—Gillard's popularity drops to a record low amid plans for a pollution levy, despite pledging there would be no such tax under her government. Furious protests break out around the country.

August 31—High Court strikes down Gillard's refugee swap deal with Malaysia, seen as a solution to the inflammatory issue of boat people, forcing Labor to scrap offshore processing and release refugees.

November 8—Labor passes its controversial emissions reduction scheme, but fails to make any headway in the polls. Rudd consistently places ahead of Gillard as preferred leader.

2012

February 22—Rudd resigns as foreign minister in Washington and says he is returning home to consider his future.

February 23—Gillard calls a leadership ballot and says both contenders must accept the outcome as final.

February 27—Gillard wins the ballot with a commanding 71 votes to 31 and vows to lead a unified front to the 2013 election. Rudd promises full support and says he holds no grudges.

2013

January 30—Amid renewed talk about Gillard's leadership, she announces national elections for September 14.

February 15—Rudd dismisses mounting speculation he will again challenge Gillard, telling everyone to take 'a long, cold shower'.

March 12—An opinion poll shows Gillard would be crushed in a national election, but Labor would easily win if Rudd was leader.

March 21—Senior cabinet minister Simon Crean demands Gillard call a leadership vote and urges Rudd to stand. Gillard immediately calls a ballot but Rudd declines to challenge and she retains the leadership unopposed. Rudd vows not to challenge again.

June 26—After weeks of rising speculation Gillard announces a party leadership ballot cutting short party-room moves to depose her. Both Rudd and the prime minister commit to quit politics if they lose.

Rudd wins the ballot by 57 votes to 45.

Labor lost the election. That is a nice summary of the last few years of Labor government. What Labor is trying to do is to somehow contend that it is the coalition that has the issue and the problem.

I think there is another contrast they will want to draw. It is the vicious way in which the Labor Party publicly treated each other.