Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What a momentous day it has been. We have a government that said, 'We're going to stop the boats,' that said, 'We're going to stop this, we're going to stop that.' But the one thing they could not stop was a spill motion. They could not stop a spill motion attempting to unseat a Prime Minister after 16 months. I have to say—as someone who has had some involvement in these issues over the years!—16 months is pretty quick. It took me a lot longer than that, despite what you may have read! But the fact is that there was a move in this direction after 16 months. When you look at the votes against, they were 39 and an abstention. Let's face it: that is really 40. That is 40, in a situation where 61 supported the Prime Minister.

But then, let us remember, if we were seeing a situation where ministerial solidarity and cabinet solidarity were enforced, we are talking about a situation where 60 per cent plus of the back bench—60 per cent plus of those who are regularly in their electorates, 60 per cent plus of those who are actually in contact with the general community, 60 per cent plus of the people who need to respond to that community—said no to this Prime Minister.

Deputy Speaker Jones, I thank you for the intervention. I am doing the best I can in the circumstances—and I am certainly making a better fist of it than the government is!