FEDERAL MP Warren Entsch has described himself as “bitterly disappointed” that the historic apology to families affected by forced adoption was overshadowed by Labor’s leadership dysfunction.
“Yesterday I attended an event in the Great Hall at Parliament House to mark a very significant occasion, when the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition made an apology to all of those people affected by the removal of young children from their mums and families,” Mr Entsch explained.
“This apology has been a long time coming and should have been front and centre, and the headline in every news bulletin. But that’s been lost because of the internal fighting of the Labor party. I’m bitterly disappointed that the families have been denied that recognition.”
Mr Entsch said that in some respects, the outcome of the leadership spill meant that little had changed. “We have the same Prime Minister and the same Treasurer, and they will keep bumbling along from one crisis to the next.
“But what’s different is that they have now lost some very senior and experienced figures, not just in Simon Crean but in Richard Marles and Chris Bowen and the three whips – including my good friend Joel Fitzgibbon.
“They have been relegated to the bench and this is just going to add to an already fragmented government.”
Mr Entsch said it was an unprecedented and chaotic week in politics.
“Senator Conroy absolutely bungled the media reforms legislation first there would be “no compromises”, then the bills were split, and then it almost came down to what Bob Katter wanted before he jettisoned them entirely,” he said.
“Sen. Conroy then chose 4pm in the midst of a leadership spill – to announce that there would be more delays in the rollout of the NBN. That’s pretty sneaky, but it’s typical of this government.
“The next time we return to Canberra, we’re going to see a budget come out that’s going to reveal a massive deficit. The whole fabric of the place is starting to fall to pieces.
“The only way this government can perform a decent service for our country would be to call an election today. The longer they stay, the worse things are going to be.
“But irrespective of when they go, we are ready to govern – we have a plan. We are ready to step into the breach today.”