Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

Well, we can't name them, because they are nameless Labor backbenchers. They were happy to background against the Prime Minister and the Treasurer in the Australian, but they didn't have the courage to put their name to the quotes. We'll read those. This is a quote from an unnamed Labor backbencher that was backgrounding against the Prime Minister—the Prime Minister should start watching his back! They said, 'Surprised we've done this given how many of us were against it.' There we go! Here we hear the truth. The Labor backbenchers are actually against cutting the fuel excise. If you're struggling to pay your petrol bill, just realise that the Labor backbenchers didn't want the 26c-a-litre cut.

Here's another quote from the unnamed backbenchers. There are multiple backbenchers providing quotes. They said:

To say most backbenchers are perplexed would be an understatement.

Two things have happened there if they're perplexed. If those backbenchers that are backgrounding and white-anting the Prime Minister are perplexed, that proves that it was not part of the Prime Minister's plan, and he took the coalition policy. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. It also means that those opposite on the backbench are clearly not talking to their communities. They are clearly not talking to their communities and understanding that Australians are struggling, truckies are struggling, the diesel price—

A government member interjecting—

I'm making stuff up? I'm literally reading quotes your backbenchers provided. Talk to your colleagues. We'll go to the third quote, for the member for Hunter:

We've studied article after article that says this doesn't help, it's a … short term sugar hit.

Three unnamed Labor backbenchers are happy to background in the Australian. They've gone very quiet because they apparently don't support cost-of-living relief for the Australian people. Well, the opposition does, because we know our communities are doing it tough. We know that they need support. That's why the opposition leader led. He wrote to the Prime Minister, requesting this policy. The Prime Minister backflipped and followed us. But we know those opposite don't actually support relief for the Australian people. They said it in their own words. Could you be more out of touch?

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