Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It seems the Labor Party is adopting President Obama's tactics of distraction and class warfare. I mention that only having heard the questions during question time, but after Senator Cameron's tirade over the last five minutes it has confirmed for me that that is your tactic: distraction. But it is not working, Senator Cameron, because of the strength of character and the example that Senator Sinodinos set us all as he stood aside yesterday. He was not stood down, as Senator Wong claimed. It is so typical of the Left to grab language and linguistics to enshrine their entrenched negative perspective on things. It is important that we bell the cat on it every time.

It is a distraction from the debt Labor left us and the $33 million in interest every day—Senator Cameron, as you leave the chamber. Every day we have to pay that off because of your reckless spending over the last six years. It is a distraction from the fact that at the last change of government you were left with zero debt—nothing to pay off—and yet you return it to us riddled with debt. We are borrowing $129 million a day just to service it, and there are some structural deficits within our budget that are going to take us some significant work to address and get under control. It is a distraction from the fact that you just cannot get over the election result. Here we are six months after the election and we are still unable to repeal the mining tax and the carbon tax, which they voted you out to do, before WA go to their Senate election. You are seeking anything that will ensure a distraction from that particular case.

There is the contrast between Senator Sinodinos's actions and the ALP. There is Senator Sinodinos's confidence in the process that is underway within ICAC, where he has been called as a witness. It is laid out in the statement he made in February last year that he is confident that the process will deliver the result that will see him back on our front bench as soon as possible, as soon as the process is concluded. It is honourable action; it is selfless. It is so typical of this man who has served Australia, has served his party, has served this government and has served this Senate with distinction. I refer the opposition to his statement on 28 February last year and call on them to allow the process to take its course. Do not come in here and use this place to chase phantom accusations. The opposition refuse to identify the accusations today—as I think Senator Fifield called on them to do—and they could not identify them yesterday either.

Earlier today in Senator Wong's contribution, she said we lacked, as a government, transparency. I would like to take the Senate to the Labor Party's version of transparency and the Noble House Chinese Restaurant in Sydney. According to a media report, former minister Albanese and Senator Cameron had a meeting with six senior Left Labor figures, including Mr Foley, at the Noble House Chinese Restaurant. They came to the 'consensus view' that Mr Macdonald—who, from ICAC reports, was found to be corrupt—would not be stripped of his preselection.

The way the Labor Party deals with transparency and accountability is very, very different from how we choose to do it. It is absolutely abhorrent that the opposition come in here and claim that our government lacks transparency and accountability. You claim we lack accountability. Let us look at the way you chose to govern this nation, the way you overrode cabinet processes, the way you rejected the people's will, the way you rejected parliamentary and committee processes and the way you rejected your own caucus processes. You have no track record on accountability or moral or ethical standing in this argument.

I refer to the statement that Senator Sinodinos made on 19 March in this place. He stood aside so that we could continue to do what the Australian people have elected us to do, and that is to get on with governing and with fixing Labor's mess. He stated that he is proud to serve in our government. We are very, very proud to serve with him and we look forward to the day when he continues to serve with us in delivering on the promises we made to the Australian people at the last election—the promises you are failing to let us deliver on.