Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, the Prime Minister does enjoy the confidence of his cabinet. The reason that he enjoys the confidence of his cabinet is his policy delivery for this nation—policy delivery be it on MH17 or MH370, be it on border protection, be it on stopping the carbon and mining taxes to ensure that we can have jobs for the future or be it on the free trade agreements that are promising wealth generation and job creation like we have not seen in this country for a long time. That is why the Prime Minister enjoys the confidence of his cabinet and of the party room. What I do know is that Mr Shorten does not enjoy the confidence of 21 years worth of former ACTU presidents in Mr Hawke, in Mr Ferguson and in Mr Crean in relation to his unprincipled stand on the China free trade agreement—an agreement that will see huge potential for our home state of Tasmania and indeed the state of Western Australia, 47 per cent of whose exports go to China. Yet the Labor Party has the audacity to campaign in Western Australia against the free trade agreement.