Opposition Leader Bill Shorten extended a rare olive branch to the government today. Source: News Corp Australia

It was a bid to highlight the government’s hard-line political attacks, which recently have included claims Labor wants to put out a red carpet to welcome terrorists.

And it reflected growing cynicism among voters directed at all MPs and parties.

The Coalition has maintained the take-no-prisoners tactics, which helped it win power and at times has acted more like an opposition than a government.

Mr Shorten hoped the bipartisan agreement on the government’s legislation would mark “a new turning point” in the hardcore battles that have dominated this Parliament.

“Trust is in short supply in the 44th Parliament,” Mr Shorten said on the day he admitted he had misled voters in a radio interview five years ago, in which he denied he was joining a move to remove Julia Gillard as prime minister.

He continued today: “Every Question Time, the government regularly attacks our patriotism, our love of this nation, our good faith and sincerity on these important matters.

“But sometimes in life, it’s a very big wheel that doesn’t turn. Sometimes in life the very people you attack are the very people you need to turn to. This is one of those times.”

Labor had agreed to help the government after it was discovered a technical glitch related to funding could have seen offshore detention centres closed by the High Court.

“And it (the agreement) may usher in an era where the government doesn’t always resort to the debasing of the Opposition and the politicisation of an issue which is far more important than any speech that any of us will ever give here,” Mr Shorten told Parliament.

Despite the call for a “new era”, Labor MPs recalled the Coalition in Opposition had refused to help Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard when another technical deficiency led to the court barring the so-called Malaysian Solution to asylum seeker traffic.

And Mr Shorten repeated the reply then-opposition leader Tony Abbott had sent Ms Gillard: “This is a problem you have created and it is your responsibility to solve.”

The Coalition and the Greens joined forces to defeat the Labor government’s legislation, which would have fixed the Malaysian plan to swap asylum seekers for groups of accredited refugees.

Mr Shorten said 689 boat people died on their way to Australia after that, implicitly blaming the Coalition and the Greens.

“My fear is that the truth (is) that the Coalition opposed the Malaysia arrangement not because they thought it wouldn’t work. They opposed it precisely because they were afraid that it would work,” Mr Shorten said.

“They played their politics hard. Hard.”

Mr Shorten said Labor was “determined to be better”.

“When you needed us in the national interest we are there,” he said, arguing a contrast as he stood across the table from Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.

“And when you feel like taking a shot at us, to pull some lever, push some focus (group) message, to bring out the lesser angels of the Australian nature all I say to you is: Remember this moment.”

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