Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

Madam Acting Deputy President, before I begin, thank you for the way you managed the chamber during the previous debate. It's really disappointing when conversations that are important to our national conversation descend into those types of arguments.

I want to put on the record that when it comes to the decisions of the Victorian government and the debate that we're about to have, it's very clear from our government's point of view that this was a decision of the Victorian government. It's disappointing, and we've put that on the record too. It's disappointing news for Victorians and it's disappointing for athletes, coaches and sporting fans alike, who were looking forward to Australia's Commonwealth Games. But we maintain that it's a little odd for those opposite to bring this as the first matter of public importance for this sitting week and to bring it to the federal Senate where, it has to be said, we don't have much power over the decisions of the Victorian government, and it is clear that this was a decision of the Victorian government.

The Victorian government didn't engage with the former Australian government during the bid process, nor in relation to its withdrawal. However, we are prepared to work in good faith, and the Prime Minister had agreed in principle to the standard major events provisions that fall within Australian government responsibilities. We were willing to do what was required from the Australian government's point of view. But we also know this is a decision that was made by the Victorian government. It's an odd thing for those opposite to bring it here and somehow insinuate that our government had anything to do with the decision itself or could, as the motion says, 'stop Premier Daniel Andrews from cancelling the games'. I'm not sure what mechanism those opposite would like us to use and I am not sure at what cost to taxpayers those opposite are referring to. But it is very concerning that those opposite are trying to make this into a political debate in the national parliament. We have so many issues that we are dealing with across the country.

I think it is interesting that those on the other side of the chamber are suggesting that somehow our international reputation has been damaged by the cancelling of this event. We know that those opposite don't have a great track record when it comes to our international reputation, whether it is Peter Dutton, the Leader of the Opposition, or former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, overheard joking at Pacific Island nations having water lapping at their doors, or whether it's the debacle with the French submarines, when the former Prime Minister lied to the Prime Minister of France. Even the former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirmed this was his assessment of the situation. No-one can forget that, when it comes to Australia's international standing, nobody did more damage than those opposite when it came to their 22 failed policies on climate change. We on this side will not sit here and take lectures from those opposite about our international reputation, which, it must be said, has finally been restored under the Albanese government.

Finally, it's also the height of hypocrisy to be lectured about community sporting infrastructure and how important it is to communities by the minister responsible for sports rorts and by the previous government responsible for sports rorts, unapologetic about sports rorts, a program that systematically undermined the ability of governments to actually fund sporting infrastructure and diverted funds away from deserving community organisations. Senator McKenzie referred to 'cheap political tricks' used to win elections. Well, that's exactly what the former minister used sports rorts for.

So we welcome any debate about the funding of community infrastructure, because nobody has forgotten those colour-coded spreadsheets. No-one has forgotten sports rorts. When it comes to what the Albanese government is doing, we're supporting our athletes, we're making sure we are funding the Olympic Games and we are getting on with the job.