Firstly, I would like to acknowledge today’s National Day of Mourning to honour the victims of the Bondi terrorist attack that occurred on 14 December.
This week, I stood alongside Members of Parliament from across the country and offered my condolences to the families of those who died, to those who were injured and to those who will forever be impacted by this despicable act of Islamic extremism targeting our Jewish community.
Sunday, December 14, 2025, will be remembered in Australian history, as the day of our worst terrorist attack on our shores, which is why how we respond to this heinous act as a Parliament is so important.
This is why, yesterday, I joined my colleagues in resigning from the Coalition Shadow Ministry.
This is not a decision I made lightly. It is deeply important to me to represent the people of Parkes and regional Australians at the highest possible level, to be in the room to make decisions whenever possible.
But what happened in Parliament this week strikes at the heart of democracy and our ability to have our constituents’ needs and opinions heard. And after all, that is why we are here.
The two Bills presented to Parliament this week were drafted in haste, and there was little to no time to examine the extensive implications of both the gun law reform and the hate speech reform. These are Bills with ramifications across the country.
The Nationals were very rightly alarmed at the lack of consultation, at the ongoing implications, at the absolute unwillingness of the Labor Government to listen to what Australians want.
I stand behind the three National Party Senators who had the courage to say no. It was unfair that these Senators have been removed from the Coalition frontbench. I don’t want to be part of a Shadow Ministry that does not listen to its members.
Sussan Ley has refused to reinstate those Senators, and my resignation from the Shadow Ministry stands.
I am confident that going forward, the conviction, the experience and the ethics of the National Party will see us make the right decisions for Australians.
On this, a National Day of Mourning, I remember the Australians who lost their lives at Bondi Beach. May this never happen again.
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You describe the three Nationals senators as having the “courage to say no”, yet courage requires accountability. They did not simply express concern — they defied an agreed Coalition position in the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in Australian history. That is not bravery; it is indiscipline.
Frontbench roles come with collective responsibility in every party. They are not platforms for individual veto. And it rings hollow to praise others for “saying no” when you did not — you abstained from the hate-speech vote.
Standing on the sidelines while applauding defiance is not principle. It is avoidance.
You speak of the “conviction, experience and ethics” of the National Party, yet those claims sit uneasily beside the abysmal display of internal Coalition upheaval that unfolded on a National Day of Mourning — a moment that demanded dignity and restraint. Instead, Australians witnessed resignations, recriminations and internal power plays. That was not merely poor judgement; it was profoundly inappropriate.
Australians were looking for unity, responsibility and leadership. What they got was Days of Our Lives Coalition style. It’s pathetic. It’s no wonder the Nationals and Liberals are bleeding support.
Sorry Jaime, but when the moment demanded leadership, the Nationals chose chaos — and then blamed everyone else. Nationals credibility rating = zero.
Denise has gone easy on you Jamie … abstaining is not avoidance it’s cowardice pure and simple.