Senator Penny Wong has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull following the resignation of Cory Bernardi.
“What we have seen today is extraordinary,” Senator Wong said in parliament, “A government senator leaving on ideological grounds and grounds of conviction and philosophy from the government benches.”
Senator Wong said Senator Bernardi’s statement was emblematic of a bitterly divided government that had an absence of leadership; “a government that is coming apart at the seams, a government so riddled with internal division, it is more focused on its own issues than what matters most to Australians.”
“We know that Senator Bernardi’s view is far from an isolated one in this government, we know that amongst those opposite he is one of many who believe that this government stands for nothing.”
Senator Wong said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was a man who didn’t believe most of the things the party stood for and was forced to capitulate on most issues.
“This government is led by a man who doesn’t believe most of the things he is now forced to say, this is a government that is ridden by factionalism, by dissent and distrust.”
“This resignation is a consequence of the failure of leadership by the Prime Minister, because the Prime Minister is leading a government that doesn’t have an agenda, that doesn’t have a philosophical framework.” Senator Wong said.
Continuing her blistering attack Senator Wong said Prime Minister Turnbull was a man who had sold his soul for leadership.
“A Prime Minister so weak that he’s only allowed to remain in the job as long as he only betrays virtually everything he ever stood for.” Senator Wong declared. “A man who used to believe in marriage equality, now he’s not he’s not even allowed to grant his members the right to vote.”
Senator Wong said the PM was no longer allowed to talk about an Australian republic, change the tax system or negative gearing, discuss climate change and despite his vow to end three word slogans, was now forced to repeat those of his predecessor.
Senator Wong said there were no issues that she agreed with Senator Bernardi on, but she respected that he could stand up for what he believes in.
“He’s is clearly no longer prepared to stomach the rank hypocrisy of a leader who clings to office by parroting the views in which he does believe.”
“There’s another lesson here for the Prime Minister” Senator Wong said, “It’s never enough, no matter how much you bend, and how many times you sell your soul to the hard right of the party, no matter how often you betray everything you have ever stood for, it is never enough; that is what Senator Bernardi has today demonstrated.
“For every concession, another will be demanded, and when you cave in on that, they’ll just ask for another, and when you cave in on that another will be demanded of you.”
Senator Wong said it was time for Malcolm Turnbull to call for an end to the farce and take some advice from Senator Bernardi and put principle back into politics because Australians were waiting for him to do so.
Graeme Watson
