And then the Liberal MP for Flinders, Zoe McKenzie asks the exact same question in a different way:

Tomorrow will be 1000 days since the election of the Albanese Labor Government. The Prime Minister promised he would halve migration numbers. Instead, he is bringing 1.8 million more people to Australia over five years during a housing crisis with higher rents and fewer homes being built. Why won’t the Prime Minister apologised for his week leadership and wrong priorities?

Albanese:

“I think that Member for her congratulation on our 1000 days in office. (INTERJECTIONS) those opposite want to present themselves as a fresh new phase during the campaign over coming months now, just like his predecessor Scott Morrison dead but the truth is he was a part of it all. 1000 days ago tomorrow, we did inherit a fair bit.“

Albanese then goes through what he sees the government as ‘inheriting’.

The Liberal MP for Cook Simon Kennedy (yes, I had to look up his name because I forgot) asks the same question:

Tomorrow it will be 1000 days since the election where the Prime Minister promised life would be cheaper under him. Instead, food is up 12%, gas, 34%, rent is up 17% and Australian families have paid $50,000 more on atypical mortgage. Why won’t the Prime Minister apologised to Australians for his weak leadership, bad decisions and wrong priorities?

Same answer, different bucket.

The LNP MP for Forde, Bert van Manen asks:

Tomorrow will be 1000 days since the introduction of the Albanese Government. You promised 275 delicate on power bills and that things would be cheaper under Labor. Cost of living has increased by nearly 20% and people are suffering nearly the longest recession on record. Why won’t this Prime Minister apologised to Australians for his week and poor decisions and his bad priorities?

You know the answer to this – you have heard it all week. But Bert seems happy to get a look in.

Labor MP for Moreton gets thrown out of the chamber for old time’s sake. It will be one of the last times he hears that from Milton Dick – we are sure he is cherishing it.

Wow. Still recovering from that.

The chamber moves on to a dixer from Brian Mitchell who is retiring from federal politics and the seat of Lyons (Rebecca White has been preselected to run in his place and yesterday resigned from the Tasmanian state parliament to concentrate on her federal tilt).

Mitchell says “my last question in this place is to the minister for health” which is doing nothing to calm the farms of the the election speculation scarecrows.

Anthony Albanese:

“I will make four points. You’re quite right that within this chamber, leaders and ministers cannot be asked about their decisions to be made by political parties.

The question clearly went to that and are refer to previous answers made by prime ministers, ministers, leaders of political parties that those decisions are matters for the political party. That is the first point that I make.

The second point is I just refer to your comments about the consent about the leverage in the question to say that. I will just referred to the director-general of ASIO about turning the heat down where possible. We have a responsibility to do that and it is in Australia’s interest that occur and I say that consistently.

The third issue that I will say is that the reasons why there are four current members of the Greens political party in the House of Representatives, all four of them are there and in the Member for Melbourne’s seat was because a political party gave preferences to Adam Bandt which saw upon Lindsay Tanner retirement as Member of Melbourne saw Adam Bandt elected and he has continued to serve.

As for the other three, the Queensland LNP made a decision to put the Queensland Greens into the Queensland by giving them preferences and getting them elected so that is the third point that I make.

The fourth point that I make is that I joined at a very young age a major political party that sought to be a party of government, the Australian Labor Party, a party that I have supported since I came out of the womb, Mr Speaker, and a party that seeks to make a difference because, like many of us on this side of the house, we were raised in families in which being Labor and making a difference and standing up for fairness and equity was something we were raised with from a very early age, whether it be from our parent or from the Josephite nuns”

Wow.

OK. Now the Liberal party are just going there.

Julian Leeser:

The Greens party is a racist anti-Semitic party. Will the Prime Minister join with the leader of the opposition in continuing to put the Greens last at the coming election?

The chamber erupts and Adam Bandt is immediately on his feet:

“It is a clear reflection on members and a disorderly statement and a request to have it withdrawn.

The chamber is still in disarray and a short back and forth over whether it is in order.

Dick:

I just ask the Member for Berowra to make sure his language is in line with standing orders. This is a very sensitive and hot topic, I understand that, but inflammatory language does not assist the chamber. I am not going to ask him to withdraw, but I remind all members, because it was not directed to an individual – as it was, as has happened before, I would ask the member to withdraw – but I just ask moving forward that we use language that everyone can live with.

Zali Steggall who was the centre of a firestorm when she accused the Coalition and Peter Dutton of being racist not so long ago (which the Coalition DEMANDED she withdraw) stands up:

“Just for clarification and consistency, because my understanding from the standing orders is it is a reflection on – the question included a reference to a party, completely separate to me, but it is a reflection on its members…No. I was required to withdraw when it was a reflection on policy and yet here it is a reflection on a party, the members of a party, and that is not contrary to the standing orders. So, for consistency, which I am sure everyone in this place would appreciate, I would submit respectfully that there is a discrepancy there.

There is a back and forth about precedence going back to Sneddon, with the ruling that it was ok for a collective group of people but not individuals and Steggall had mentioned Dutton specifically.

Anthony Albanese then answers the question.

After a fight with my computer we are back with question time where Julian Leeser asks the question we all knew was coming:

Under this Prime Minister, thugs were allowed to chant anti-Semitic hate speech on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The Prime Minister refused to start a taskforce and Jewish homes have been threatened and vandalised. The Prime Minister promised Australians that social cohesion was his priority. With anti-Semitism getting worse, not better, what has our country become under your government?

Anthony Albanese‘s team also obviously expected this question as he has a whole timeline:

I have been opposed to racism in all its forms my entire life, including anti-Semitism.

And indeed, on the day or indeed the morning after the terrorist attack on 7 October, I was on Insiders condemning it unequivocally.

The next morning on the Today Show, I said this in response to the demonstration that took place that night – “There is nothing to celebrate by the murder of innocent civilians going about their day. Some of those who had been captured are young children enjoying life, enjoying each other’s company.

Word got out about the Opera House rally that was due.

I spoke before the rally on 2GB – “So, you on Prime Minister believe this march should not go ahead?” I was asked. I said this – “I absolutely believe it should not.”

I said there was nothing that could be achieved apart from creating a climate that is not conducive to peace. The day after those rallies, I went on to say, and in Sky News, 2GB and Sky News, so it should be familiar, went on to say – “We need to lower the temperature. I don’t want to see conflict in Australia and I don’t want to see the sort of things I saw last night. One of the reasons why I believe it was inappropriate to go ahead last night.”

I did a press conference in Port Lincoln in South Australia that day, of October. I said there again “I think there is nothing to celebrate here.”

I went on to speak about the rallies and said the actions we saw on the weekend need to be unequivocally condemned. I did that consistently at every single opportunity – every opportunity. I have continued to do that.

I note the comments of those, for reasons beyond my comprehension, who have argued that that was not the case. It is up to them to explain why that is not the case.

Why they suggest that rather than look for the absolute maximum of unity, some have sought a different road. In this parliament, we carried a resolution as well and there were some fine speeches that day. Anti-Semitism is a scourge. It is opposed by anyone who is decent.

What we saw in the videos yesterday is abhorrent. I have spoken today with premier Minns. He talked about the health minister travelling to Bankstown Hospital to make it very clear that the actions of these two reprehensible people in showing their hatred for people because they are Jewish, there anti-Semitism there for all to see without any shame or without any embarrassment, is overwhelmingly why people go into the help profession.

What I have sought and will continue to speak and I asked my friend here to join me with it because we have been on unity tickets before to join at every single opportunity to look for social cohesion and to look to bring people together rather than any suggestion that anything other than total condemnation of anti-Semitism is precisely what every person in my government has done – not just since 7 October, but our entire political lives, as one of the reasons why people join the Labor Party – because they believe in cohesion in our society, they believe in inclusion, they believe in diversity, because they believe and respect for people regardless of their faith or their origins.

If you want to see just how bad Australia’s protesting crack down has become, you can take a look at this research: it’s actually cheaper to pay to play with your MPs

The Greens are attempting to draw attention to the erosion of the right to protest in Australia, with a new bill enshrining that right.

David Shoebridge said:

“As one of many protesters around the country who has been arrested under these harsh laws I have seen their unfairness up close. 

“Governments are preparing for the inevitable public backlash against their continued inaction on climate change, inequality, and human rights. Rather than addressing these crises, they are seeking to criminalise those who expose them.

“Protest is a tactic used by those who can’t buy political parties or the decisions they want, by those who don’t control the media. 

“Rio Tinto doesn’t need to protest, but Traditional Owners of lands that are slated for destruction by their open cut mines often do. 

“Rupert Murdoch doesn’t need to march in the streets, but those demanding climate action from recalcitrant Governments do and are. 

“Importantly, this bill ensures that excessive penalties—such as lengthy prison sentences and exorbitant fines—are unlawful limitations on the right to protest. 

“Despite what Labor and Liberal Governments will say, Australia’s international obligations do not allow for restricting these fundamental freedoms solely to protect corporate profits or business convenience. 

“We need to resist this creeping authoritarianism and assert not just the right to protest but the right to disrupt until those in power listen.