Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Certainly, Mr Deputy Speaker, I should know not to go into a battle of wits with an unarmed man. I apologise.

Following the budget, the shadow Treasurer described the global financial crisis as nothing more than a hiccup. What an absolute insult to Australians who have lost their jobs or had their hours cut during what was known as one of the biggest economic downturns across the world. You have to ask the question: what would the member for North Sydney do? How would he have cured our economy during this so-called hiccup? Would he have instructed us to stand on our heads, hold our breath or maybe take a glass of water? In countries like Spain and Ireland unemployment is around 20 per cent due to the global financial crisis. But, according to those on the other side, that was just a hiccup. Twenty per cent of people unemployed!

I know that the people of Australia and particularly the people of my electorate do not view the global financial crisis as a hiccup. It just illustrates the complete disregard that the Liberal Party has for the importance of job security to families across our country. We know too well that during the GFC the Liberal Party opposed stimulus funding, which helped to create and support new jobs, as well as investing in things like education. I am sure that the tuckshop raiders would be out there at the new school hall saying, 'How good is this? We are here getting our photo taken. It is something the Labor government has delivered.' Not one of you has ever got up and said, 'I tell you what, let's not put one of these in my schools.' How many times have you been out to schools and said: 'We shouldn't have this. Your kids don't deserve the best education opportunities. Your kids don't deserve 21st century facilities. We just think that what we are going through is a hiccup.'

An opposition member: You should be ashamed of yourself.

I am very ashamed to be up here talking about how many of the 210 schools in McEwen received brand-new buildings, brand-new classrooms, science and language learning centres! What did you get them? A flagpole—whoop-de-do. That is really going to give you the best education, sitting under a white piece of wood. We are actually out there delivering better teachers, better services and better facilities, to give every kid every opportunity. They will grow up, get an education and say, 'Gee whiz, how did we ever let those people over there into the 43rd Parliament? What were we thinking at that stage?'

Unlike the Liberal Party, we took the GFC seriously. We took action, rather than sitting there and just hoping it would go away, it would fade into the distance.

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