Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand in this place today a little more energised than usual. I'm glad to see the end of the winter sittings. Describing this window of time as being in Canberra for five weeks between May and the end of June makes it sound precisely as difficult as it is to be away from our electorates and our families for such a long period. I can't help but feel a bit of a spring in my step when the countdown timer on my phone tells me the flight home is getting that little bit closer. Even watching the Blues lose resoundingly last night couldn't deflate my spirits.

But what I really came here to speak on today is the state of the environment. I'm not talking about the report that the Minister for the Environment and Water handed down not long after the Albanese Labor government took office, which—though I digress—was a masterful display of work delegation from the member for Farrer, in sitting on that report for months, knowing it would be someone else's problem as long as she could run the clock down before anyone else asked too many questions about it. The state of the environment I'm talking about is the one in the 47th Parliament. Instead of reading about the scourge of blue-green algae infesting precious aquatic ecosystems, we instead are hearing about the blue-green scourge on some of the legislation during this winter sitting period. It's something we haven't seen the likes of since 2009, and, much like the algae that shares the same colour scheme, it has been spreading.

We first saw this with the Housing Australia Future Fund legislation. Those opposite are taking great pride, along with the Greens, in delaying consideration of the bills until the Albanese government manages to get the state and territory governments to do something that is entirely within their power. They're delaying a fund that would bring sorely needed investment in social housing. I get why the opposition would oppose this. If they had any enthusiasm for social housing, if they had made any attempts to address it in their nine years in government, investment in this space might not be so urgently required. But the Greens joining the opposition to block this legislation in the other place makes me realise that the smugness of the Greens is quite astounding. Do they consider this a win for themselves at the government's expense? In delaying the building of much-needed social housing, 'Sucked in, Labor,' is what the Greens must be saying to themselves over a deconstructed breakfast at inner-city cafes across the nation. To borrow a word used by a member at the forefront of this hypocrisy, it is absolutely cooked.

This flows through to the Nature Repair Market legislation too. We saw the bromance between the Liberal National Party and the Greens rear its ugly head yet again. With friends like these, it makes me revise the mission statement from fighting Tories to now include their 'tree Tory' mates. I hope they have a good hard look at themselves over the winter break. (Time expired)

Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.