Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I'll tell you what was offensive. It was the tactics committee meeting that came up with the question this morning. That's what was offensive. The idea that any foreign aid is giving Australians' money to foreigners ahead of Australian interests—the Leader of the Opposition knows better. He knows exactly what he is doing with that question. The only people who are pleased about that question are the people sitting in the corner up there, because they represent seats that have rejected that sort of dog-whistling tactic from the Liberal Party. The Leader of the Opposition, who pretends he wants to be kinder and gentler, comes into this House and asks a question like that.

I'll tell you what the entry fee is to enter into discussions around the table with our international partners, whether it's the United Kingdom, whether it's the United States, whether it's Japan or whether it's India: it is taking climate change seriously. That is the entry ticket you need in international affairs in 2022. What you don't need is that sort of nonsense. For a political party to say that Australia reducing our emissions isn't good enough because we need a global reduction in emissions, but to then press that button, shows the contradiction which is there. I say to the Leader of the Opposition: you're better than that.

Or maybe you're not!

Honourable members interjecting—

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