Mr TED O'BRIEN (Fairfax) (16:15): The Leader of the Opposition led the charge this afternoon in this debating topic, and he did so in a way that affirmed the difference between him and the Prime Minister. The difference is the same between the Labor Party and the Liberal-National coalition. While the Liberal Party is positive, as is the Prime Minister, the Labor Party is negative. While the Prime Minister seeks to unite, the opposition leader seeks to divide. While the Prime Minister has a clear, positive vision for the future, the Leader of the Opposition is constantly negative and can only talk about the past. The Prime Minister backs Australians in. The opposition leader refuses to back Australians and will only back the Labor Party in. The Prime Minister wants to unleash the innovative genius of Australians and back enterprise. The Labor Party just wants to tax them. We have heard that through what has been a painful hour on the ear from those opposite—a very difficult hour to listen to. The strange thing is: those opposite have come forward today with a debating topic talking about a plan for the future, yet not one of their speakers has articulated any plan for the future whatsoever. They can only talk about the past, and they do so so woefully poorly. There are two key priorities for our nation as we look forward. One is the security of our nation, and the second is the prosperity of our nation. Opposition members interjecting— Mr TED O'BRIEN: Isn't it extraordinary that those opposite decide to heckle and oppose and scoff when I talk about the importance of the security of our nation. Let's take ourselves through what the opposition stands for. One of the real challenges we face at the moment as a nation is the coercive economic measures being undertaken by the Chinese Communist Party on Australian businesses. There have been two opportunities for the opposition over the last week to join the government in pushing back and standing up for Australian businesses. Their foreign affairs spokesperson chose not to do so. And this very week the Leader of the Opposition chose not to do so. Those opposite are refusing to support the Australian government and the Australian people on something that has traditionally been bipartisan in this country. I personally believe there is no larger challenge of our time than trying to resolve the China question. Those opposite have broken a long-term bipartisan tradition, and they have done so at the compromise of our nation. It was Vladimir Lenin, that Russian revolutionary, who coined the phrase 'a useful idiot', a useful idiot being one who unwittingly, out of ignorance, propagates the cause of another, and the leaders of that other get excited and let the useful idiot talk. I'm sorry to say that the Leader of the Opposition and the foreign affairs spokesperson for the opposition are proving to be useful idiots in this regard, because they have very clearly said that they do not support the Australian government in its attempts to push back on Communist China's coercive measures. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Llew O'Brien ): I ask the member for Fairfax to withdraw the term 'idiot' as it's referenced to members opposite. Mr TED O'BRIEN: I am happy to withdraw reference of 'idiot' to those opposite. An opposition member: No; just say 'I withdraw'. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Fairfax— Mr TED O'BRIEN: I withdraw, Deputy Speaker. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. Mr TED O'BRIEN: It is the same when it comes to economic prosperity. Those opposite's main complaint about the government is that the debt is too high, and their only solution is to spend more. Can you understand the economic illogical approach that is—debt too high therefore spend more? This is the problem we have with those opposite. It's why they cannot present a case today. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The discussion has concluded.