Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I'm not really sure what to make of that contribution by Senator McDonald. It was completely mystifying to me. Senator McDonald indicated that she didn't understand why these questions were being posed today in question time. Well, I'll let her know why: because they're important questions. They are extremely important in terms of what is happening in this country and what our Prime Minister is saying to Australians. As Senator Gallagher said in her contribution, you cannot let extremists get a foothold. You cannot allow them to think that they are being supported in any way in their extreme views. But that is what the Prime Minister attempted to do in his contribution.

To take a well-known phrase used by former Senator Doug Cameron, the government is a rabble—a complete rabble. Today we had not one but five government senators crossing the floor to vote against the Prime Minister. We know that Mr Morrison got a good talking-to from Senator Hanson last week, and his position has become a little more vague since then. But we also know that in the past the Prime Minister has expressed a view in support of vaccine mandates being enforced by businesses and governments in order for people to undertake certain activities, including work. Indeed, he expressly stated, on radio station 2GB in August this year, that businesses have a legitimate right to refuse entry to someone who has refused to get vaccinated.

Fast forward a few months and the Prime Minister is being now threatened by One Nation and his own backbenchers—to change his view on vaccines or have his legislative agenda held hostage, in this place, whether it be Senator Antic or Senator Rennick or Senator Hanson or Senator Roberts. There are angry and violent protests with gallows on the streets of Melbourne. The Prime Minister has buckled and bent to extreme elements seeking to undermine the nation's economic recovery. Make no mistake, that is exactly what will occur if we do not promote the inherent importance of opening up and staying open by way of a vaccinated population in a vaccinated economy, with enforceable rules to underwrite it.

When asked to condemn violent behaviour, the Prime Minister chose to express sympathy with the sentiments of those participating in anti-vaccination demonstrations. It's dog whistling, pure and simple. Deliberate. It's all designed to cosy up with the far Right as part of a cynical strategy that is all about saving his own bacon and not about what is in the interests of Australians. It's a prime minister prepared to enact the agenda of One Nation and Senator Hanson. Without the likes of Senator Hanson, the Prime Minister's agenda—whatever it is—would increasingly be stuck in the mud. He's a prime minister prepared to do grubby deals to get their support but is not prepared to honour his own commitments to the electorate. This is the same Prime Minister who has repeatedly promised to bring forward a bill to establish a national anticorruption commission and has failed to do so.

Now here we are, on the eve of an election, with no bill to tackle corruption at a federal level, despite the very desperate need for such a body. It's on full display for all to see, the myriad scandals littering the government's rap sheet. He's been given the opportunity, and the Prime Minister has failed to do so. (Time expired)