Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

They presided over the establishment of bottlenecks. I am glad all those members from Queensland are here. They know how much was not put into Queensland. They failed to invest in economic, productive infrastructure. It is the same mob that when they had the chance at the Treasury benches ripped $1 billion out of public health. We are rebuilding that system. As a matter of fact, it was under the watch of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was health minister. He took $1 billion out of health.

They also managed to strip almost $1 billion out of public and vocational education. They ensured that where they could they stripped money out of that. That is what went into their surplus. They failed to spend on those things that are so necessary to put our economy on a competitive footing for the future.

We just got lectured to by the member for Dawson about the problems in Queensland after the flood. As I recall, it was this side of the House that decided it was a priority, a commitment that we should work for the restoration of flood damage in Queensland.

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