Serving as a Member of Parliament is a privilege and a great responsibility. Having been elected on three occasions, initially at a by-election, and then subsequently at two general elections, I was unsuccessful on the fourth occasion on which I stood. I wish my community well as we face the challenges to come. 

I listened closely to the contribution from the previous speaker, the member for Moncrieff. I thought it was really odd that she started off by complaining that Labor are all doom and gloom. I think anyone who has been paying attention to the question of aged care, particularly in the context of the royal commission, over the past term of parliament would understand the serious challenges and the reasons why, in fact, Labor have been so concerned about aged care and why we have been so consistent in pressing the government to take real action.

In August, a batch of documents was released about the Commonwealth-owned former Red Cross Hall site. Those documents show that the Liberal National government has, throughout their entire eight long years in office, ignored calls to act on dangers posed by asbestos, lead paint and pesticides.

The Prime Minister had two jobs this year: a speedy, effective rollout of the vaccine, and quarantine.

He has botched both, and now Australians are paying the price.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has been trying to strongarm the states to inflict his own inadequacies on them, even scornfully comparing Queenslanders and others to cavemen in a kids' cartoon.

It's been very disappointing that the government have been dodging, weaving and ducking in trying to avoid all responsibility in climate change as they do with every issue.

Australians deserve a better childcare system.

Today the Closing the Gap report was tabled in this parliament. In a really terrific speech the Leader of the Opposition, Anthony Albanese, made a number of commitments to take real action for Closing the Gap. 

Today what we've heard from the government is excuses and excuses and excuses, attempts to deflect blame and, of course, the Prime Minister's trademark belligerence during question time when he was held up to scrutiny—something he absolutely dislikes, doesn't he? Today, as a nation, we are pretty worried. We've got delta ripping through communities. Just today we've had more announcements of lockdowns in some areas. My heart goes out to those people in Newcastle and around the Hunter who are going into lockdown pretty shortly after we finish this debate today. It's been a very, very difficult time.

Australians have been plunged into uncertainty and disruption because of a leaky quarantine system and a slow vaccine rollout. It's certainly the case in my electorate, on the south side of Brisbane, that people are now going through a lockdown, and that lockdown can be laid squarely at the feet of the Prime Minister, who had two jobs this year and has managed to botch both. His two jobs were a speedy, effective rollout of the vaccine and a safe and effective national quarantine system. He has botched both.