Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How is the Albanese Labor government supporting Australians, and how does the government's leadership differ from that of others? And, Prime Minister, why is consistency of leadership so important?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Paterson for her very good question. The government is strengthening Medicare. We're building homes, we're cutting taxes and we're supporting jobs. We're dealing with A Future Made in Australia, which is one of the reasons why we've secured greater fuel reserves than were secured by those opposite, and they are secured here in Australia.

Now, the surest sign that something important is happening in Australia or in the world is that those opposite turn the spotlight on themselves. On the national day of mourning for victims of the antisemitic Bondi terrorist attack, they announced they were splitting the coalition—again. On the day of the funeral of the former member for Higgins, the members for Hume and Canning publicly plotted against their leader. On the day that Israel's president was in Canberra to support grieving members of the Jewish community, the member for Hume resigned and called for a spill. Now, with Australians feeling the impact of the war in the Middle East, the Nationals have elbowed their way to centre stage.

We're focusing on fuel security for regional communities; they're focused on their front bench security. They have only two settings—talking Australia down and tearing each other down. Tonight Australians will be focused on a certain dinner party on Married at First Sight and they'll experience a bit of deja vu because there's a range of quotes that Australia has about MAFS, but is it about them or the coalition? The fights are explosive. The relationships can be toxic. It's typically maintained a certain level of drama that feels catastrophic. And, my favourite—it is a bit of a mystery in some ways as to why people are so open and honest on such a public platform, but we're very grateful they are. We see them on Sky News talking about themselves. Then they come in here and they try to engage in political opportunism no matter what the crisis is that Australians are facing.

The fact is we will continue to govern in the national interest. For those opposite, there'll be a different frontbench when we get back here tomorrow, maybe—who knows! Maybe by the time we come back in a week's time it'll be different again. But one thing will remain the same: same old Liberals, same old Nats, same old One Nation, just three right-wing parties not standing up for Australia.

On that note, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.