MEDIA RELEASE - LABOR GETS AN ‘F’ ON END OF YEAR PARLIAMENTARY REPORT CARD

PAUL FLETCHER MP

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

MEDIA RELEASE

2 DECEMBER 2022

LABOR GETS AN ‘F’ ON END OF YEAR PARLIAMENTARY REPORT CARD

The Albanese Labor Government has ruthlessly used its numbers to weaken the Parliament’s effectiveness in scrutinising legislation and holding Ministers to account.

“In its first six months of Government, Labor has repeatedly gagged debate, forced through Bills without allowing proper scrutiny and given Ministers unprecedented new powers to avoid proper parliamentary consideration just by declaring a Bill ‘urgent,’ ”said Manager of Opposition Business, Paul Fletcher.

Mr Albanese campaigned on a promise of doing politics differently, of greater transparency, scrutiny and accountability – but he has wasted no time in doing exactly the opposite of what he promised.

Labor forced through its radical industrial relations Bill in just four sitting days – a ludicrously inadequate time to properly scrutinise over 240 pages of detailed legislation.

“At every point the Albanese Government either voted to limit debate or shut down scrutiny of the Bill, rejecting a Select Committee inquiry and forcing a truncated consideration of amendments.

Bad process leads to bad legislation – and the consequences of this reckless and undemocratic approach will be felt across Australia.

“All of this is a long way from the Prime Minister’s promised ‘kinder, gentler’ politics Australians were repeatedly promised by this government.”

REPORT CARD

RESULT: F

Lowlights:

• Wasting three hours on a politically motivated censure motion against the former Prime Minister, contrary to House of Representatives practice.
• The shortest answer in question time was given by rookie Minister Kristy McBain who gave an answer of 1 second in response to questions about her breaches of the Prime Minister’s Code of Conduct. 
• The hapless Minister for Small Business who only managed to speak for 27 seconds when responding to detailed questions from the Opposition about the government’s industrial relations changes.
• Speaking times have been cut on 8 bills including on their vaunted climate change bill and, bizarrely, the government’s signature child care bill.
• Curiously, more non-government members spoke to the government’s much-hyped Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Cheaper Child Care) Bill 2022 than government members.
• Newbie Minister Stephen Jones, who seems incapable of speaking in anything other than a shout, is the worst offender of using unparliamentary language, having been asked to withdraw offensive words on three occasions. 
• More bad behaviour was on display from the Prime Minister who reduced Michelle Landry to tears during Question Time.
• Not content with running a protection racket for the hapless Minister for Small Business, the government has shut down Question Time before 3.15 PM on 11 occasions.
• A chaotic process on finalising their 2023 siting calendar - having tabled it one day, only to be forced to repeat the process after it was embarrassed into reversing its abolition of Senate estimates hearing.

Further information: Jack Abadee 0403 440 099