Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to rise tonight to speak against this motion by the member for Fadden because, text aside, this motion is not really about defence housing. It is a proxy debate. It is a base attempt by the opposition to play wedge politics and pit one section of the community against another. It is a continuation of the strategy we have seen from the coalition that has seen them propose stripping millions of dollars in funding to schools in Indonesia, which is against our national and economic security interests, against the future interests of thousands of Indonesian children and against the right thing to do.

This short-sighted approach to foreign aid and defence policy is truly gobsmacking because it overlooks the fact that we are a wealthy nation. It overlooks the fact that, as a wealthy nation, we can support those in need in Australia and we can support those in need in our region. It also overlooks the fact that poverty breeds terrorism. And what is the best way of eliminating poverty and the cycle of disadvantage? It is education. Education is the great empowerer. It opens up opportunities like nothing else. It builds self-esteem and it provides choice—not that this message is particularly dear to the coalition’s heart given its track record in education when it was in government.

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