House debates Matters of Public Importance

Energy

Tuesday, 15 September 2026 House of Representatives

Dan Tehan

Dan Tehan Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction

3:13 pm

Yes, we'd probably have to get it from IKEA or the equivalent. Seriously, that's how bad things are becoming under this Albanese Labor government. And you wonder why the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday said that Australians are losing trust in this prime minister. Well, they have sadly lost trust, and there is very good reason they've lost trust—because they know that this prime minister just makes it up. He just gaslights. He fibs. He won't tell the truth. He'll do everything other than being honest with the Australian people.

Here's a character test for the Prime Minister. I know the local member will front up at Whyalla, because he'll look after his workers. The Prime Minister on Friday should go to Whyalla and face those workers. That's what he should do. If he's got real character, having been there and promised their jobs would last forever, he should front up and tell them: 'Sorry, I've got a problem with the truth. Sorry, I've got a problem with being direct with people. Sorry, I've got a problem with looking people in the eye and being upfront with them.' He should go and do that. That would be the right and honourable thing to do. Yet this prime minister just sits here in question time, dismisses a question about 600 workers losing their jobs, about our industrial capability going offshore. It's like, 'This is all beneath me.' It wasn't beneath him to go to Whyalla and look those workers in the eye, so he should do exactly the same on Friday when he leaves here—go and look them in the eye and apologise.

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