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Australia

Anthony Albanese lashes out at Sussan Ley’s ‘totally hypocritical’ claims after the Coalition were ‘disruptive’ in Parliament

Anthony Albanese lashes out at Sussan Ley's 'totally hypocritical' claims after the Coalition were 'disruptive' in Parliament

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended claims made against him over a “dismissive gesture” towards Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.

Ms Ley called out Mr Albanese for his “hypocrisy” in Parliament following the Prime Minister’s dismissive hand motion made towards her during a typical heated Question Time on Thursday afternoon.

Mr Albanese spoke with ABC Melbourne on Friday where he brushed off the suggestions and claimed the Opposition was itself being “completely disruptive” towards him.

“I dismiss the comments as being totally hypocritical given the yelling that occurred every time I was on my feet, including non-stop gestures, yelling for me to sit down,” he said.

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“People who ask questions should expect to hear the answer.

“The Coalition had a bad day yesterday. They continue to be completely disruptive during Question Time.”

Paul Fletcher, Manager of Opposition Business, stepped up to the dispatch box shortly after Ms Ley and demanded Mr Albanese “withdraw”.

“The Prime Minister made a dismissive gesture towards the Deputy Leader of the Opposition,” he said on Thursday.

“It was disrespectful to a sitting woman parliamentarian and (I) asked him to withdraw.”

Mr Albanese was pressed further by the ABC host on the incident where he declared, “I have been respectful and I’ll continue to be”.

“We engage respectfully across the Parliament, in order to get the legislation through including with independents and crossbench members,” he said.

“The Opposition have chosen the road of disruption. That is what they’re engaged in.

“The Opposition counted themselves out of the debate on climate change when Peter Dutton, for reasons beyond my comprehension, ignored the mandate and ignored the message that the Australian people gave that they wanted action on climate change.”

Ms Ley was questioned earlier on Friday by Sky News Australia host Peter Stefanovic about what happened where she unleased on the Prime Minister.

“I can take the rough and tumble, every woman in this place knows how to do that,” she said.

“What I can’t accept is the hypocrisy.

“Anthony Albanese said it was going to be a family-friendly parliament.”

The Albanese Government is celebrating a win after its Climate Change Bill passed the lower house, but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton warned Labor’s focus away from cost-of-living proved it would take Australia down “very dangerous path”.

The legislation will enshrine the government’s 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction targets into law and received support from a majority of the crossbench and Bridget Archer – the only Liberal member who crossed the floor.

But the Liberal Party remained staunchly opposed to the legislation which would prevent a future government ratcheting down the 43 per cent 2030 target.

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Australia

Sussan Ley criticizes Anthony Albanese for ‘hypocrisy’ after she was ‘shooed away’ during Question Time in Parliament

Sussan Ley criticizes Anthony Albanese for 'hypocrisy' after she was 'shooed away' during Question Time in Parliament

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has labeled Anthony Albanese a “hypocrite” after a “disrespectful” gesture from the Prime Minister in Parliament.

The members had gathered for Question Time on Thursday afternoon when the Labor leader briefly “shooed away” Ms Ley during a heated exchange.

The move caused uproar in the room and the Opposition then repeatedly demanded Mr Albanese to “withdraw” the “disrespectful” action.

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Ms Ley was questioned by Sky News Australia host Pete Stefanovic on Friday about what happened where she unleased on the Prime Minister.

“Yes, look, shooing motion across the table in the parliament, I can take the rough and tumble, every woman in this place knows how to do that,” she said.

“What I can’t accept is the hypocrisy.

“Anthony Albanese said it was going to be a family friendly parliament, there were going to be new notes of respect and this sort of sit down and shut up motion across the table to a woman who is speaking as she is entitled to in the Parliament , simply breaks all of his own rules.

Stefanovic then posed whether being “shooed was that bad”.

“Do you see it at any modern workplace? Do you see it in a boardroom?” Ms Ley argued, before the First Edition host agreed he would never make such a move.

Earlier, the Deputy Liberal leader was posed whether the passing of the Climate Change Bill in the House of Representatives will force their own party to change its targets.

The legislation – which aims to enshrine its 2030 and 2050 emissions targets – passed on Thursday in the Lower House 89 to 55 votes.

Ms Ley argued the Albanese Government had to focus on other issues that are currently affecting Australians who were struggling with inflation.

“Just remember, this was legislation that the government’s own energy minister said it did not need, spent half a day toing and froing in Parliament when the real issue this week is the rising cost of living and the government’s $275 of broken promises on power bills,” she said.

“That was the figure by which they said your power bill would go down. So, there was some grandstanding, sure, there was legislation that everyone agreed, including the government, wasn’t even necessary, and there was a deal with the Greens .”

Stefanovic then pushed again on how much the Coalition would lift its emissions targets after Australians resoundingly showed at the polls they wanted to see more climate action with nine teal independents voted in.

Ms Ley insisted there would be ongoing discussions about climate change and net zero, which the party has committed to before the election, but their first focus was on providing cost-of-living relief to households.

“We’ll be tuning in very carefully to the international situation because that’s what matters to Australians – how we keep their power prices affordable, how we don’t have manufactures that go offshore,” she said.

“How we actually, as the prime minister has often said, keep a strong manufacturing industry where Australia makes (its own) things.

“It won’t be if the energy prices continue to escalate, so right now, that’s our focus, not on legislation that the government admits itself was not actually needed, that is not what the Parliament is for.”

She added the Albanese Government are “off the training wheels” but they have not advocated for “real policies” to help struggling families and small businesses.

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Australia

Anthony Albanese defends Labor’s housing policy as Greens accuses government of increasing waitlist to public homes

Anthony Albanese defends Labor's housing policy as Greens accuses government of increasing waitlist to public homes

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected claims his government’s flagship social housing policy was denying accommodation for thousands of Australians as he hit back at the Greens for blocking developments across the country.

Labor took a slate of housing policies to the election in a bid to bolster public accommodation for vulnerable families.

The platform is a key priority for the Prime Minister who has often spoken of his own experience living in social housing.

But newly elected Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather asked Mr Albanese if the government’s plan to establish 4,000 new dwellings a year for five years would see the “waitlist grow” and deny thousands of families the “same chance”.

“I indeed do understand the importance of having a secure roof over your head, and what that can do for the opportunity to advance in life. I know it because I have lived it,” Mr Albanese said.

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“I know that the member’s political party has substantial representation in local government and what I’d encourage him to do is to actually encourage the Greens political party to back affordable housing rather than just oppose it.

“Because in my local area, when there’s been programs in Marrickville, they have been opposed.”

Demand for public housing is significantly outstripping supply with the waiting list increasing by more than 8,000 households in 2021 while less than 4,000 new dwellings came online in the same period.

The waiting list currently sits at 163,508, according to new data published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The Albanese Government’s $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund will build up to 30,000 new properties for vulnerable Australians over the next five years.

Up to 10,000 of those dwellings will be provided to frontline workers, with the remaining 20,000 to be allocated for vulnerable families.

Mr Chandler-Mather said the waitlist would continue to grow if only 4,000 houses were made available a year when the list has grown by an average of 7,662 a year since 2018.

The Prime Minister said the Commonwealth was committed to the issue and would continue to work with state and local governments to bolster the supply of social housing.

“We also established a National Housing Supply and Affordability Council that will work with state and local government importantly to deliver increased housing, be it social housing or affordable housing, particularly through community housing organisations,” he said.

The government has also pledged $200 million for maintenance of existing housing in indigenous communities, $100 million for crisis accommodation for women and children and $30 million for veterans at risk of homelessness.

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Australia

‘Put your masks on’: Independent MP Monique Ryan blasts LNP members in question time for not wearing masks

The Independent MP for Kooyong has blasted LNP members in question time for not wearing a mask. Picture: Supplied.

The Independent MP for Kooyong has blasted LNP members in Question Time for not wearing a mask.

Dr Monique Ryan told the members of the Coalition to “put your masks on” after she was interrupted during Parliament while discussing the burden of COVID-19 reinfection rates on the health care system.

“COVID-19 infections in this country are at a record high and increasing,” the former pediatric neurologist said while posing her question to Health Minister Mark Butler.

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“There is an increasing risk of cumulative neurological and cardiovascular disease from infections from COVID-19.

“Can the Minister please explain how he proposes to manage the oncoming national significant burden of disability and chronic illness from repeated infection?”

During her question, Dr Ryan was jeered at by some MPs, before snapping back “put your masks on” as she pointed at the opposition benches.

The Member for Kooyong later took to Twitter later saying: “I don’t appreciate being interrupted while speaking on serious risks of repeated COVID infections.”

“I particularly don’t appreciate being interrupted by shouting LNP MPs who refuse to wear masks.

“We all have a duty to look after each other. Here & everywhere. Put your mask on!”

Mask-wearing is only a recommendation inside Parliament and most Coalition MPs exercise their free choice not to wear one, despite a few exceptions.

The former Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital Neurology department Director was one of a slate of Climate 200-backed independents who toppled sitting Liberal MPs at the last election including the then-treasurer Josh Frydenberg who was seen as a future leader of the party.

Mr Frydenberg’s campaign spent an estimated more than $2 million to hold the seat which was once considered one of the jewels in the Liberal Party crown.

But Dr Ryan’s strong grass roots campaign targeting more ambitious action on climate change and greater integrity in politics, along with the personal unpopularity of then-prime minister Scott Morrison, delivered the independent a historic win.

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