Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I really want to thank the member for Kingston for that very important question, because it is true that we on this side believe that all of our homes, our communities and our workplaces should be safe places, where people feel respected. Our government is helping to build resilient, stable and safe communities by undertaking things like changing our workplace laws; getting rid of Work Choices; working with the not-for-profit sector on building a national compact; taking a place based approach to ensure that the benefits of the mining boom flow, even to our most disadvantaged communities and our most disadvantaged people; focusing on long-neglected issues like mental health and homelessness and closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage; and recognising that the success of government programs depends not just on what is delivered but on how we deliver those programs.

The relationships that we have as a government with our community have to be respectful and they have to be adult. When conflicts arise, we need to deal with those matters as adults. We need to argue on the issues based on the facts that are available to us. That is why it was so very disappointing today to see the attack on the Minister for Finance and Deregulation by Senator Bushby. In fact, estimates is a terrific opportunity for—

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