Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's remarks at the 50th anniversary of The Australian newspaper where he said, 'No paper more closely corresponds with the true spirit of Australia.' Does the Prime Minister therefore agree with the judgement of the Weekend Australian that said that his leadership is languishing, flaky and insipid?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the Leader of the Opposition wants to quoteTheAustralian editorial at me, why don't I quote Paul Kelly at him? Paul Kelly, is the prince of political historians. He is the most distinguished journalist historian in recent Australian history. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to quote deprecating editorials, let me yet again quote:

The distrust between Shorten and Rudd was intense and enduring. The Gillard camp was contemptuous of Shorten, considering him weak and duplicitous. Neither side trusted him and neither side revised its view.

That is the point: neither side revised its view, and I am very confident that The Australian editorialist will revise his view.