Glenn Sterle WA, Australian Labor Party
2:40 pm
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. I refer to the Quadrant essay by the former Prime Minister, Mr Abbott. Is Mr Abbott right to say that the Abbott government's 2014 budget was 'fundamentally fair'?
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Honourable Senators:
Honourable senators interjecting—
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
2:41 pm
I have not had the opportunity to read Mr Abbott's essay in Quadrant, but I will make sure that I do.
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Opposition Senators:
Opposition senators interjecting—
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
I am, as you might expect, an avid reader of Quadrant, as most intelligent people are. I have read much of what Mr Abbott has written over many years.
He is, of course, the author of several books and is a very good writer. I can tell you, and this was a point made by Mr Turnbull as recently as this morning in our party room meeting, the Abbott government made many, many courageous decisions which made Australia a much better place and of which we ought to be proud, and we are.
Opposition senators interjecting—
Glenn Sterle WA, Australian Labor Party
2:42 pm
Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is Mr Abbott right to say that he was felled by a well-organised party room coup and his prime ministership failed because some of his senior colleagues, 'didn't want the Abbott government to succeed'?
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George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
As I said, I have not had the opportunity to read the essay—
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
and so I am not at liberty to comment on particular observations that Mr Abbott may have made in the article, nor is it my practice, and nor would you expect me, to engage in political commentary on events of the recent past.
Opposition senators interjecting—
Glenn Sterle WA, Australian Labor Party
2:43 pm
Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Does the Leader of the Government in the Senate agree with the current Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull, that the Abbott government had no economic narrative, or does he agree with the former Prime Minister, Mr Abbott, that his government's narrative was 'clear from the beginning'?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
I am not quite sure where those quotes came from. I assume the quote that you have attributed to my friend, Mr Abbott, came from his Quadrant essay.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Senators:
Opposition senators interjecting—
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
As I said, I will read the Quadrant essay when I have a moment, because I find everything that my friend, Tony Abbott, says is well worth reading.
Opposition senators interjecting—