Statements By Members – Patriotism – Speech in the House of Representatives 25/03/2026

Hansard 25/03/2026 House of Representatives

Mr LLEW O’BRIEN (Wide Bay) (13:39): It became obvious during the South Australian election that Premier Peter Malinauskas’s focus group stumbled across the word ‘patriotism’, and now federal Labor is scrambling to use it. Patriotism isn’t a slogan; it’s what you do. If patriotism is love of country, why is this Prime Minister radically reshaping Australia in ways that are unrecognisable to everyday Australians?

Patriotism isn’t dividing Australia by race. It isn’t failing to tackle the rising cost of living. It isn’t signing up to international climate agendas that hurt our economy. It isn’t mismanaging the economy and driving up interest rates. It isn’t presiding over the longest per capita recession in our history. It isn’t allowing business insolvencies to surge past 41,000. It isn’t being slow to respond to terrorist threats on Australian soil. It isn’t running a migration system that strains housing services and cohesion. And it isn’t expanding the political class to suit a big Australia agenda. Patriotism isn’t quietly diluting our national day—shifting citizenship ceremonies away from 26 January and pretending nothing has changed. Patriotism isn’t a fad. It’s measured by sincerity and outcomes, and, by that test, this Prime Minister and his government are neither competent nor patriotic.