House debates

Monday, 26 October 2020

Bills

Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020, Recycling and Waste Reduction (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2020, Recycling and Waste Reduction Charges (General) Bill 2020, Recycling and Waste Reduction Charges (Customs) Bill 2020, Recycling and Waste Reduction Charges (Excise) Bill 2020; Third Reading

5:51 pm

Photo of Andrew LeighAndrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury) Share this | Hansard source

The one thing you can say about some of the Liberal Party's heroes—people like Robert Menzies and John Howard—is that they loved this place. They loved its debates, they loved its standing orders, they loved the cut and thrust of question time and they loved the opportunity to have their ideas tested. But that's not what's happened to the modern Liberal Party. The modern Liberal Party of Australia don't love democracy, don't love debate and don't want to have their ideas tested. They want this parliament to be their own personal rubber stamp. That's why they don't allow the Leader of the Opposition to have his say on issues of utmost importance to the Australian people.

On Friday, I was sitting in the House of Representatives economics committee expecting a regular briefing from the Australian Securities and Investment Commission when Commissioner Shipton opened up by saying that he was going to step down while an inquiry was held into $69,000 of relocation allowances paid to Daniel Crennan and $118,000 paid for his tax bill, which had to do with what was euphemistically called the 'optimisation' of his tax bill.

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