Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

WATT () (): Again today we saw the rabble that is this coalition government on full display in question time. Over the last 24 hours, we've seen an increase in backgrounding from Liberals on Nationals, from Nationals on Liberals, from Nationals on Nationals and from Liberals on Liberals. Around and around it goes, just as it has for the last eight long years. Most recently—only yesterday in question time—we had Senator McKenzie saying that the National Party is the only party standing up for the regions. Then we had Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes pointing out that the Liberal Party represents more seats in rural and regional areas than the National Party.

Is it any wonder that this government, after eight long years, has been unable to come up with a policy on one of the biggest challenges facing our country and the world, one that will determine whether we get jobs and opportunities in regional areas of this country or whether they'll be sent overseas? The reason they can't come to a conclusion about this and make sure that they are putting regions, jobs and the environment first is that they are so hopelessly divided and want to spend their entire time chucking bombs at each other rather than working together in the interests of the country. Day after day we see this ongoing infighting which is holding back our regions and the country.

What we also learned in question time today is that this whole farce of the National Party pretending to fight for the regions is just that. It is a pantomime, and Senator Davey knows it. She's sitting there, and she knows in her heart that she is playing a role in a pantomime—as are Barnaby Joyce, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Senator McKenzie—because they all know that, for whatever they might be saying, for whatever crocodile tears they might be crying, for whatever protests they might be putting up and for whatever claims they're making about the regions, this has all been decided by a Liberal prime minister from Sydney: Scott Morrison.

Scott Morrison has basically said that, whatever the Nationals party room might think or do or call for, it's completely, utterly irrelevant, just like everything the National Party does in this chamber—full of posturing, full of bluster and full of infighting but never actually delivering for the regions. What the Prime Minister has said is that it will be a decision of the cabinet as to whether this country commits to net zero emissions in 2050. It's not a matter for the Nationals party room. Whatever bleating they might carry on with and whatever false protestations they might put up about caring for the regions, this Prime Minister from Sydney does not give a toss. He is going to push on with net zero emissions, because he knows the Liberals are backing him on it and he knows it's what the country wants.

This is just a big, long saga. What we are watching unfold in this parliament is longer than a Shakespearean tragedy. We all know where it's going to end up: the Prime Minister gets a deal for 2050, and the Nationals pretend to acclaim themselves as heroes. What we can be 100 per cent sure of is that whatever plan this Prime Minister comes up will be exactly what he is: a big fake. We have a fake for a prime minister. We have a marketing man who completely lacks substance, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the plan that the Prime Minister is going to take to Glasgow is also going to be a big fake plan. It's not going to be legislated. He's already said that whatever target he sets is not going to be set by legislation, so there will be no penalty for breaching it. There will be no way of enforcing it. It is going to be full of outs and exits and turnarounds and roundabouts and caveats to keep Barnaby Joyce happy. If Barnaby Joyce is involved in setting a deal on climate change, you can bet that it is not worth a cent. It is not worth the paper it's written on. This is going to be a fake plan from a fake Prime Minister leading a fake government that has done nothing about this and many other issues for eight years.

If you don't believe me that this is going to be a fake plan full of buzzwords, full of nonsense and full of meaningless statements that won't actually do anything, listen to what Senator Canavan is reported to have said after he came out after the coalition party room today. How many times from the focus groups delivered by the Prime Minister have we heard the latest catch phrase 'technology not taxes'? Every senator from the Liberal Party has rabbited on about 'technology not taxes'. Well, Senator Canavan has called them out. He said that that is just a slogan. It's too good to be true. It is like 'rainbows and puppies'. It is nonsense. It means nothing, just like their fake plan.