Amanda Stoker (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

There was a time when, if we had natural disasters—and we have a lot of natural disasters in Queensland quite regularly—politicians would put politics aside and get on with doing what was necessary to support communities through the difficulties as they dealt with cyclones, floods and bushfires. Queenslanders will remember the speeches that then Premier Anna Bligh and then Lord Mayor Campbell Newman gave during the floods that occurred through Brisbane and Ipswich in 2011. They rallied Queenslanders to help one another, pull together and clean up after the floods, and you know what? We did. Was there a call for then Prime Minister Gillard to show leadership? No, there wasn't. At first glance, you might think that this represents a double standard. You might think that means there's one rule for Labor and a different standard applied to those on this side of the chamber.

Natural disaster management, as those opposite well know, is properly a matter for the states and the territories. The senators opposite know that's the reason why the Prime Minister wasn't roasted about it in 2011. Section 51 of the Constitution specifically sets out what the Commonwealth is responsible for and, by virtue of being the Prime Minister, when the Prime Minister is supposed to act. Nothing in there says it's a Commonwealth responsibility, and yet the selective ignorance of the Constitution on that side stands out every time. The Commonwealth can only act in circumstances of a natural disaster when they're asked to do so by the states. For them to roll in and try and take charge without invitation, without the states asking, is really nothing short of a coups d'etat.

So, you want to hear about leadership? Well, how about a PM who commits to working with the states to set up a long-term protocol for when we need to bring in military assistance to help in natural catastrophes, in a way that means the failure of the states to accept other federal offers to assist, as happened in the bushfires this summer, won't happen again? How about this leadership: taking the unprecedented step of calling out around 6½ thousand Australian Defence Force personnel to rescue people from danger, distribute supplies and help clean up the mess; calling out 3,000 reservists; providing the comforting presence of knowing that help is on the way, when state governments are nowhere to be seen? That's leadership.

There's another key leadership trait that Liberals and Nationals rate highly, and that is financial responsibility. As Treasurer, the now Prime Minister had the goal of a balanced budget and, together with now Treasurer Frydenberg, they have delivered the first balanced budget, and 'surplus' is a word we can use now.

I ask those opposite: can you remember the year? We can. It was 1989. I was in year 1 and I was reading Dr Seuss books. I had a spiky fringe that didn't really date well in the photos.

A lot has changed since 1989, but the economic credentials of those opposite haven't. Not all fashion decisions date well, but I can tell you that their economic policies have dated even worse. Labor don't see responsible financial management as a good leadership quality. They don't value it. But I can tell you that, without it, there wouldn't be the capacity for Australia to provide immediate financial support to Australians affected by bushfires. There's been $52.6 million paid out to 44,150 people, people who had nothing more than a quickly packed suitcase as they evacuated: $1,000 per eligible adult and $800 per eligible child—an amount that was doubled to assist with back-to-school costs. And disaster support payments were paid in less than 20 minutes in over 90 per cent of cases.

Yet late last year Labor were in this chamber demanding that any potential surplus be spent up big-time. 'Boost all the welfare spending right now,' they said—well, of course they did. That surplus was burning a hole. And it wasn't even their money; it was the Australian people's money. It wasn't even in their pocket and yet it was burning a hole. They felt that, from the opposition benches, they had the right to demand how the government governed on behalf of the Australian people who elected it. Without the leadership the Prime Minister showed in holding fast in spite of all that pressure, there wouldn't have been the resources to set up a bushfire recovery fund and to fund it with $2 billion to cover the establishment of the National Bushfire Recovery Agency, which will be headed by well-respected former AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin.

The National Bushfire Recovery Agency will be there for as long as it takes to help individuals; to help families; to help businesses, big and small; and to help communities get back on their feet. The agency will distribute $2 billion to local councils and to the states. It will provide support and counselling to make sure that there is both mental health support and financial support for those people who are struggling with the recovery. It will help organisations that are working to heal the sick and injured wildlife who've been harmed by this disaster and help to restore their habitats. It will help charities provide direct financial assistance to those assessed as needing it. It will double funding to the National Aerial Firefighting Centre, because, let's face it, fires are a continuing part of the Australian way of life. And it will fund domestic and international tourism campaigns to help get inbound tourist dollars back to the areas that have been affected.

Yet here we are in this chamber not talking about the important bills needed to make this stuff happen. We're not here talking about the agenda that is front of mind for Australians: how we pay our bills, how we buy our home, how we get ahead and how we educate our kids. No, we're here arguing about the petty semantics of what those opposite think constitutes sufficient leadership, against goalposts that they shift depending on who is in government—and it just ain't fair. It's time the ball was called on that. It is worth stopping to cut through all that political nonsense and think about what we mean when we talk about leadership. It means knowing what you stand for, being frank about it and not being pushed around by those who might want to bully you around to their position.

The quiet Australians nationwide are pleased to see the Prime Minister dealing with our climate in a way that is balanced; in a way that cares for our environment, whilst making sure no-one's jobs are put in jeopardy; and in a way that achieves improvements in how we go about generating energy, using developments and technology rather than draconian measures designed to send us back to the Stone Age. They are so pleased to see a Prime Minister who doesn't cave into the hysteria of those opposite.

We've seen from Labor and the Greens, and from the media, for that matter, a determination to tell Australians why they got their judgement wrong at the last election rather than listening to what they're trying to say. They're not being listened to by the people I've described, but do you know who is listening? The Prime Minister and this government are listening. The Prime Minister knows he's got two ears and one mouth for a reason, and he listens to the people who speak quietly, the people who are working hard, the people who are raising their kids, the people who are building their businesses, the people who are shaping their local communities. Do you know what? They're too busy to be activists. They're too busy to be lining the streets, shouting hysterically, a la Greta Thunberg. They're building this country, helping it be the best it can be.

Leadership is about courage, it's about conviction, and it's about holding fast when people like those opposite get hysterical and pretend that there's only one way to ensure that we have a good balance between jobs and the environment in this country. The PM understands what's necessary to make sure the jobs of Australians are always front of mind, even as we do all we can to protect our natural environment.

If you want to see bad leadership, come to my home state of Queensland and take a look at the Labor state government. We've had Premier Palaszczuk telling fibs on Sunrise about the information that she's been provided— (Time expired)