Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very much on the subject. They are Keystone Cops in their inability to deal with the crisis that is before them—and that is housing affordability, the global financial crisis and every other piece of policy that we have in front of us. That is only the three-ring circus. There is always a supporting act in the three-ring circus called the sideshow, and here that is the backbench—a bunch of galahs. They squawk all over the place but, in the end, the galahs have no bite at all.

It is Labor that is actually delivering the essential bits of policy. It is Labor that is doing the hard yards in making sure we can get people into good, decent, new, affordable homes and making sure that, whether it is in Brisbane, Sydney or even Perth, where the market is overheated, we provide the tools and the regulatory framework, we provide the funding assistance, we work with the states and in partnership with the sector, we maintain growth in the economy and we ensure that people’s jobs are maintained.

I congratulate the minister and the leadership of the Rudd government for this excellent policy and the money they have delivered to ensure that the economy continues to grow. (Time expired)

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