Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Our commitment to working people has been demonstrated by getting rid of the hated Work Choices, beloved by the Leader of the Opposition and beloved by his deputy, and it will be back in five minutes if they ever have the opportunity to do so. Our commitment to working people has been demonstrated by the approach we took to rebuilding the nation after the summer of floods—opposed every step of the way by those opposite. Our commitment to working people has been shown by the rolling out of our health reform—opposed every step of the way by those opposite. Our commitment to working people and their prosperity and the services they need in the future is shown by rolling out the technology of the future, the NBN—opposed every step of the way by the Leader of the Opposition. Our commitment to working people is shown by our commitment to working women and equal pay, something opposed by the opposition. We have added to that commitment today with a commitment to safe rates which will inevitably be opposed by the Leader of the Opposition. We are showing our commitment to working people by trebling the tax-free threshold—opposed by the Leader of the Opposition. We are showing our commitment to older Australians by increasing the pension—opposed by the Leader of the Opposition. We are showing our commitment to working families by increasing family payments—opposed by the Leader of the Opposition—and on and on and on the list goes.

Let me say this: there is no amount of negativity, there is no amount of fear campaigning, that changes some very basic facts.

Mr Simpkins interjecting—

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