Labor and Greens ‘a bad on-again off-again relationship’: Joyce

The Prime Minister has tried to put a disastrous week behind the Coalition has he rallies the party room for an election offensive.

The Coalition will need the focus and discipline of sports stars to win the election, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said as he attempted to put the disastrous last week in which MPs cross the floor behind them.

There remained some anger among conservative MPs at their five colleagues who crossed the floor on the religious discrimination Bill, with one venting their frustration in the Coalition’s joint party room meeting.

But the Government continues to push its attack around a “Labor-Greens alliance” after the election, with Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce describing it as a bad on-and-off again relationship.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“The green Labor relationship was on last week, we had the leader of the Greens talk about the relationship, but they had a bad Valentine’s Day, they had a bit of a tiff and now the relationships off,” Mr Joyce said.

“It’s on, it’s off. It’s like Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, it has lots of episodes but we all know how the relationship ends.”

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese rejected accusations from the Coalition regarding a minority government with the Greens or any “death taxes” as scare campaigns.

“Every government scare campaign has blown up in their face,” he told the Labor caucus meeting yesterday.

“This government is not governing. This government has no plans for tomorrow.”

Mr Albanese has repeatedly rejected suggestions he would form government with the Greens in the event on a hung parliament, saying he would not “negotiate with fringe groups”.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Morrison told his colleagues he “did not propose to go over” the events of last week in which five MPs crossed the floor.

“In this election, we will require the most disciplined focus and professionalism from each of us in all of our roles that we can summon. If we can do that, we win. It’s that simple,” Mr Morrison said.

“The focus and discipline that is necessary to win the election is no different from what we admire in many of our sports stars.

“I’m going to do mine. I need you to do yours.”

The Government will today attempt to resurrect its proposed migration character test laws, which would make it easier to deport foreign criminals convicted of a crime carrying penalty of two years jail or more, but it has not been successful since it was first raised in 2018.