Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

Then he has the hide to say we do not want to talk about the economy. I have got news for the shadow Treasurer: the debate finishes at 4.30 when we go to adjournment. They are not aware of that; they are not too good on standing orders. Old or new, any of them, they do not seem to get it. They come in here and they just have one policy. I will say this: on this side of the House we are the builders, we are the nation builders; they are the wreckers. We are the people who are interested in enhancing opportunity; those opposite are only interested in entrenching privilege, entrenching privilege of the big end of town. That is who they represent. The Leader of the Opposition runs around and says he is the friend of the workers but he is trying to smash the auto industry, he is not prepared to support the steel industry, he is not prepared to support the changes to the economy that we need as we move to a carbon constrained future that will ensure that we continue to be the envy of the industrialised world. Those opposite have a $70 billion black hole. Those opposite cannot talk about anything positive because they do not have any money: they are at minus $70 billion before they start. And that is before you take into account all the other commitments that they have made. The fact is that it is only this side of the House that has a plan to govern. We are getting on with the job of governing. Those opposite just have hissy fits, complaints, negativism and no plan for jobs, no plan for the economy, no plan for social policy, no plan for infrastructure, no plan for the nation. The Australian nation is better than that and it is a lot better than those opposite, which is why we remain on this side of the chamber and why in the lead-up to 2013 we will still be on this side of the chamber, and after the next election, because you stand for nothing. (Time expired)

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