Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

With the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September last year, we had crystallised the single biggest economic shock to the globe since the Second World War. It led the Leader of the Opposition to say that it was ‘undoubtedly a very grave, the gravest global financial crisis that we’ve seen since the Great Depression’. It was a very appropriate comment indeed. But then again it should not be surprising that the Leader of the Opposition would make such a comment, because the Leader of the Opposition has the unique capacity to make just about every comment possible on any issue with which he is confronted. In relation to the same phenomenon, he described it, I think, as ‘hype’. The Leader of the Opposition, a former barrister, absolutely knows how to argue a case and, if you give him an issue and you give him a few days, he will be able to argue every case possible in relation to it. He has the ability to defend and prosecute the same case within a matter of moments. But, on this occasion, the quote that he made in relation to the global economic crisis was perfectly correct.

The World Bank is now forecasting that the world will experience a shrinking in its economy for the first time since the Second World War. It is forecasting that world trade will record its biggest fall in 80 years. The Rudd government’s reaction to the global economic recession has been swift and decisive. In October last year we announced the $10.4 billion Economic Security Strategy package. In February this year we announced the $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan package. This represents a plan which sees this government not just ahead of the game here but ahead of the game internationally. Indeed, the way in which this government has been dealing with the economic crisis has seen Australia become a leading economy in the world, performing better than almost any other economy.

During this time, what have we seen from those in the opposition? You might have expected that, during this grave crisis confronting the Australian people, we would have seen some bipartisanship on the other side, but not a word of it. Instead, we have seen flip-flopping, vacillating and a frenzy of position-changing, which has led to a complete lack of activity. We have seen a total absence of any plan from their side of the House. We see this in relation to the various stimulus packages. The opposition supported the government’s Economic Security Strategy in October last year, but since then they have been busily talking it down at every opportunity. And, of course, they opposed the Nation Building and Jobs Plan this year.

We saw that same form play out in industrial relations. At the beginning of this term of government, their first term in opposition, we saw a bitter fight amongst their ranks as to whether or not they should be supporting our industrial relations plan. At the end of the day they decided to support what the government plans to put through this parliament. But in the last few days we have seen them saying that they will move significant amendments to the government’s industrial relations legislation. So where that leaves them in relation to the whole package is anybody’s guess. Whilst there may appear to be confusion on the outside, we should be under no illusion that underneath, on the heart of every member on the opposition benches, you will find tattooed two words: Work Choices. There is absolutely no doubt what they believe in. The only question is how prepared they will be to publicly say that in the debates which ensue in the coming weeks.

We see the same thing in relation to climate change. Their benches are littered with climate change deniers, but the Leader of the Opposition has been a supporter of an emissions trading scheme. Then again, since the announcement of the white paper they have been busily running from electorate to electorate all over Australia saying we should not have an emissions trading scheme yet—but the Leader of the Opposition says we should have a target to reduce greenhouse gases by 25 per cent by 2020. So their position on climate change is, again, anybody’s guess. From alcopops to whether or not this government ought to run a deficit in the next budget in the current economic climate, we see the opposition going from one place to another in terms of what they think they should do.

You would be forgiven for thinking that the way in which the opposition run things is with the spin-the-wheel school of public policy. I am sure if you go to the Leader of the Opposition’s office you will find one of those big wheels that you see on Wheel of Fortune. Every morning the Leader of the Opposition spins it. Whatever public policy line comes up, that is what he does on that day. Then the next morning he walks in and spins it again, and a different line comes up and that is what he says. Yet the apparent randomness of their position actually belies an underlying commitment and a steadfast direction which I will actually concede exists on their part.

If you want to draw a line in the opposition’s behaviour then look to the political opportunity. If you want to understand what they are about, do not ask about the public policy or what is good for the country, but ask about the politics of the situation and what is good for the Liberal Party. The Leader of the Opposition will sniff out a political opportunity, a media grab, a quick political point here or a cheap shot there. He will sniff all of that out with the focus of a truffle pig. All the while, public policy becomes completely incidental to what they are doing. In voting against the Nation Building and Jobs Plan, the opposition actually voted against jobs. By contrast, the Rudd government in this crisis has come up with a plan which is entirely focused on jobs, and we heard from the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy about what we are doing.

See this speech in context