Page 2485 - Week 07 - Monday, 15 August 2022
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Mr Parton interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Parton, next time you will be warned.
MR STEEL: This is just a stunt and it should be called out for exactly what it is.
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, there will be warnings.
MR STEEL: We all know what it is: an opposition and an opposition leader with no substance that are all about stunts.
MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra—Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Business and Better Regulation, Minister for Human Rights and Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (9.39): As we have heard, there are a lot of ways to describe this experience today: a stunt, a feeble attempt at a headline, silly, a gross misunderstanding of how a government works, a gross misunderstanding of the publicly available Cabinet handbook and the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement.
Literally, everyone saw through this motion the moment it was listed—everyone in this place, the media and the community. That Ms Lee sought to speak for the Greens before speaking to them, that she fails to comprehend the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement, and that she has then persisted with this motion in this way today, says all you need to know about the Canberra Liberals and Ms Lee’s leadership.
We have full confidence in the Chief Minister, obviously. The bluster that we have heard today is a weak attempt to hide what is becoming increasingly apparent to everyone else: this is an opposition devoid of its own ideas. We saw that in Ms Lee’s budget reply speech, where literally the only idea she put forward was to create another shadow ministry for herself! We see it every time we meet in this place, where the Liberals fail to put forward genuine alternative policies. We see it in this very motion that cheapens the parliamentary process. It is petty. It is pointless. This speech has given it more attention than it deserves.
MR DAVIS (Brindabella) (9.41): I rise to offer my support to the Chief Minister and Treasurer—
Mr Parton: Sometimes!
MADAM SPEAKER: You are warned now, Mr Parton.
MR DAVIS: In doing so, I want to acknowledge the intellect, capacity and engagement of Canberrans in their democracy. I give a lot of credit to Canberrans. Canberrans think very shrewdly about their vote, about who they vote for and the parties they represent, and about what kind of government they may elect.
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