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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Before the election the Prime Minister said:

… Australians are sick of leaders who play politics ahead of governing the country and who blame everyone but themselves when things go wrong …

Isn't blaming everyone but himself exactly what the Prime Minister has done in his answers today?

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

I am making the absolutely obvious point that solving the debt and deficit disaster that we were left by Labor is not easy. It is particularly not easy when members opposite are not assisting the repair; they are sabotaging it. This government takes responsibility for fixing the debt and deficit disaster that it inherited. I just wish members opposite would accept the responsibility for creating it, as create it they did.

The Leader of the Opposition likes to quote things. I think the people of Australia need to know a bit about the Leader of the Opposition. Everyone who knows the Leader of the Opposition fails to trust him. Let me just remind the Leader of the Opposition and the people of Australia just what his colleagues think of him. To quote: 'The distrust between Rudd and Shorten was intense and enduring. The Gillard camp was contemptuous of Shorten, considering him weak and duplicitous. Neither side trusted him and neither side—

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. This has nothing to do with the question.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, in fairness to the member for Jagajaga, the question was about him blaming everyone but himself, which is exactly what he was doing. It is completely relevant!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat.