Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Manager of Opposition Business for his somewhat predictable question. Can I say to the Manager of Opposition Business that I know he is still trying to recover from the embarrassment of failing to call a division on the legislative proposition about a judicial inquiry into Building the Education Revolution that he had been spruiking everywhere, so I understand that there is some embarrassment catch-up in the asking of this. But let me give to the Manager of Opposition Business effectively the answer I gave in the parliament yesterday, which is that the hypocrisy of the opposition on this question is rank, it is manifest, it is everywhere. Just as they come into this parliament during parliamentary days and rail against Building the Education Revolution, the moment they get back to their electorates they cannot wait to stand next to a Building the Education Revolution project and get their photos taken. They cannot wait to get their newsletters out and pretend that somehow it was their strident advocacy for their electorate that brought these projects to their electorate. I am proud, and every member of the government is proud—

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