Senate debates

Thursday, 12 August 2021

Statements

Prime Minister

1:36 pm

Photo of Jess WalshJess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

[by video link] Integrity, accountability, delivery—these are three basic tests of leadership, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison fails all of them. Let's talk about integrity. Recently the Prime Minister has been caught out in yet another government pork-barrelling exercise, caught out on another colour coded spreadsheet, caught out spending taxpayer money like it's Liberal Party money, with more than $600 million taxpayer dollars spent to build car parks in Liberal and marginal seats.

Let's talk about accountability. A true leader has to stand up and front up for what they've done. They have to answer the tough questions. But this Prime Minister—he just walks away from them. He literally walks out on journalists who are trying to hold him to account. And he denies knowledge of anything. What colour coded spreadsheet? Which minister can I pin this one on? How can I spin this one?

Let's talk about delivery. The Prime Minister can't even deliver on his government's own pork-barrelling. Just two of these rorted car parks have actually been built. If this Prime Minister and his government can't even deliver on their own rorts, how are they going to deliver for the people of this country? How can they deliver Australians through this pandemic? How can they deliver Australians good secure jobs? How can they deliver Australians a future that they can count on?

Australians need a real leader. They need a leader who is ready to stand up for them and fight for them. They need a leader with integrity. They need a leader who will be accountable to the people of this country. They need a leader who will deliver for the people of this country, not for himself or herself. Prime Minister Morrison fails on all three counts. (Time expired)