Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

The great example now is that we have the member for Stirling interjecting across the table and wanting to offer the arguments that his deputy leader decided were not worth advancing. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition gave a guarantee to the chamber that it will be explained to us why the position of the Liberal Party in this place is different from the position of the Liberal Party in WA, but she never told us how much later. I am looking forward to one day getting an explanation from the Western Australian members. We have had an explanation from one of the senators, who was very happy to provide that explanation, but certainly the deputy leader decided that at no point would that happen.

On all of those cost-of-living pressures that families are facing—that working families face, that Australians doing it tough face—the key issue remains: making sure that government policy does not contribute to the problems with respect to inflation. It is extraordinary to see how quickly they have been willing to throw their economic credibility away. What is left of the group that had previously wanted to claim economic credibility—and yet handed us the highest inflation rate for 16 years—now wants to blow a $22 billion hole in the surplus. People know exactly what that means. People know what a $22 billion hole in the surplus means. It is clear: the $22 billion hole in the surplus puts upward pressure on inflation, and that is what those opposite want to deliver. When it comes to it, they do not care about being able to provide downward pressure on inflation. When it comes to it, they have no interest in trying to provide power to consumers. When it comes to it, they still do not get the cost-of-living pressures and understand the cost-of-living pressures that families are facing in all parts of this nation, because their attitude is to still be the party of Work Choices. Their attitude is to still be a party that says, ‘You should earn less and, when it comes to cost-of-living pressures, we won’t care what gets done about it.’

You can tell that their hearts have not been in it from the moment the Leader of the Opposition decided to play his biggest card and then leave the room. He left the room. I challenge anyone to let me know when the last time was—

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