Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Yes—make the shadow minister happy. This isn't just about some postelection catharsis; this is about the state of our democracy.

In my firm view, the Westminster system relies on strong, functioning political parties that can perform public goods; develop realistic, costed policies for people to choose from; campaign for those policies; and vet and select candidates who are suitable to hold public office in the parliament. A strong democracy requires a proper, functional opposition, yet what the Bruce campaign and, indeed, the entire national campaign and their postelection civil war has starkly revealed is the rotten, broken shell that is now the Liberal Party. They were a terrible government and they weren't much good at opposition, but beneath that sad fact is that they are now barely a functional party. In Victoria, their main pastime is suing each other in the courts. They're back there again in September. Can't wait for Moira for PM and those stickers; that'll be great! They've well proven their inability to vet and select proper candidates. They have literally not a single policy—not one—except those forced upon them by the National Party to avoid the messy divorce: climate change denial, economic populism and risky nuclear reactors. But don't worry, the Leader of the Opposition says. 'We have our values. We'll always be guided by them.' The only problem is they're not actually sure what they are, so they've now embarked on this soul-searching exercise to find their values. Good luck with that. Eat, pray, love to you all.

One of the best things about the 2025 election was the resounding rejection by Australians of the politics of fear and division in the community, voting instead for a politics of unity, care and optimism. To me, an Australian is anyone committed to our country, to its institutions and to that basic principle of mutual respect for their fellow Australians, who may be very different to them. The people in this chamber may be very different to each other. They may have very different beliefs, identities and world views. Perhaps one day the Liberal Party will get that. Miracles do happen; I'm not giving up on you!

I'm proud to be a member of this government. I've known the PM since 1996; he's the real deal. He's kind, he's smart, he's strategic, he's tough, he's experienced, he's authentic, he's an insanely hard worker and he's actually fun. In my first speech, I spoke about the fun faction back then.

I'll finish on this. I'm especially proud to be part of a parliament that now reflects more modern Australia. In my first speech to this place, I spoke about institutions of power. The judiciary, the military and this parliament have to reflect the communities that we serve, and these are without doubt the best first speeches I have ever heard in my time here. I could not imagine a better collection. They're people who have real problems, have had real lives and actually reflect the community, so full marks and a shout-out to my new colleagues. The country is going to be well served by this government under this Prime Minister.

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