Maria Kovacic (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't think we're in the way at all, Senator O'Neill. You have your supermajority, you have your ability to govern and you need to go and do it. I think it's time. You need to get ahead and do your job. You can't keep pointing to the opposition for any of the reasons that you can't do anything that you need to do. We have an example this week with the childcare legislation. You have a duty, an absolute duty to lead on this and to ensure that you get the states and territories to do what they need to do. We can't do that for you, but we will support you in that. It is a critical priority to get that right. So, while we can sit and point fingers and shout across the chamber, ultimately when you have the responsibility of leading you need to do it, and it's time to do that. So bring the people to the table to have those conversations in a manner that you should. We're here to support you to do that, but you actually have to lead on it and get the states and territories to act on that, and that will be seen. Australian families and children deserve that, particularly those families that take their children to childcare centres every day.