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

This afternoon in the debate in this chamber, interrupted by question time, we have before us the migration detention legislation. This is important legislation. It is bringing justice to people who have been forced to rack up extensive bills. Not only do people on this side of the House think this is important legislation and want to vote in favour of it but there are many people of honour and integrity on the other side of the House who also want to vote for this legislation. I note the member for Kooyong’s speech in the parliament prior to this question time. We also, of course, want to receive back from the Senate their position on the CPRS. We want them to determine this important legislation. We think that we have had inaction for long enough on climate change. The Senate should determine its position. The Leader of the Opposition has said that he supports an emissions trading scheme. If he has amendments to that legislation, he should make them, and then it should return to this House. Whether it is alcopops, asylum seekers or the CPRS, we have absolute chaos on that side of the House—absolute chaos from a rabble led by a leader without authority, a leader who put his authority on the line last Friday over a fake email.

We take our legislative agenda seriously. We want to debate in this House the issues of concern to Australians: responding to the global economic crisis, responding to climate change—

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