Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

We want to make sure that our people have adequate retirement incomes. This is a very important issue. We want to use the mining tax to replace forgone Commonwealth revenue as we provide the opportunity for Australians to have money put aside in superannuation savings, which are taxed at a lower rate than they otherwise would be.

Let me also tell you why I think we are consistent and those opposite are not. Any member of parliament elected before 2004 gets what they call a defined benefit scheme. Very nice. I wasn't elected then, but very nice for those who have got it.

Opposition members interjecting—

Indeed, there would be several opposite who can sympathise with this point. But if you were elected after 2004 you get 15 per cent super, which is a very generous deal. What I do not like is that those opposite would vote for Australians at large to get only nine per cent. My view is that if it is good enough for us it is good enough for the people. If it is good enough for members of parliament, we need to lift super. All point-scoring aside, I know that there would be plenty on the opposition side who would think that there is a case there.

Let me be clear: we are consistent. We have invested in education.

Opposition members interjecting—

I know that when people are embarrassed they sometimes laugh to hide their embarrassment. I think we have just seen a little bit of a laboratory experiment from those opposite.

We are seeking to consistently manage this economy. Another problem that we are consistent on is that we know climate change is real. We heard the Prime Minister of New Zealand say that he thinks climate change is real. We have had all the scientists from around Australia come to visit Canberra and they think climate change is real. The problem is that those opposite are run by a gentleman, Mr Abbott, the member for Warringah, who has the intellectual curiosity of an Inquisition monk. He is not greatly interested in the science. Although, at different times the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Abbott, has said that a carbon tax is a good idea and at other times he has supported an emissions trading scheme. Certainly, when he realised that he might have a third of the caucus to back him to knock of Malcolm Turnbull, he was then prepared to go very hardline right wing—very hardline and very right wing.

Then we had the shadow Treasurer, who entertained us so jovially before. He said that what you think about climate change is a matter of conscience. I love that.

Opposition members interjecting—

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