Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Hansard source

As a member of this parliament representing a regional electorate I stand up to support the MPI that the Leader of the National Party has raised today. It is a matter of absolute public importance—the damage being caused by this government. I am sad to say that the Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, who just spoke before me is, sadly, responsible for much of this damage.

I will address a couple of the remarks that the minister made. He did remind the House that he was at one time the Leader of the Opposition—and we do remember that period fondly. I remember the budgets that Peter Costello delivered when the minister was the Leader of the Opposition. The budgets of 2002-03 and 2003-04 delivered surpluses of $7 billion each. They actually delivered surplus budgets. They did not have a false concocted plan, which this budget claims, to deliver surplus budgets; they were surplus budgets.

Before the minister tries to claim that the economic situation at that time was completely rosy, I also remind him that in September 2001 there was a seismic event that changed the economic structures of our world and put a lot of pressure on our budgets. Of course, Peter Costello and John Howard were able to manage that time, manage the budget, continue to deliver surpluses, continue to cut tax and continue to deliver to regional Australia. On the other hand, what we have seen since 2007 and since the election of this minority government with the support of a couple of regional Independents, it must be said, are budgets which have delivered a $54 billion deficit, a $47 billion deficit and, of course, in this financial year, a $44 billion deficit. That was after it was proposed in last year's budget that there would only be a $22 billion deficit. So we do not have much faith, it must be said, in the claims of this government and this minister that there will be a surplus budget delivered next September when we find out the final results—a time, I suspect, when we will not see the current Treasurer be able to crow over these results, because there will not be a surplus delivered.

The other issue that the minister raised was jobs. We are all pleased to see Australians in work. We are all pleased to see Australians getting jobs. While we acknowledge today that it was not full-time jobs which went up—in fact, they went down; it was casual and part-time jobs—it is good and important for people to be in work. That is in start contrast to what that minister used to say about casual and part-time jobs. In fact, the ACTU, the owners and operators of the Australian Labor Party, have currently got a case going looking into temporary employment. So you have got the minister trying to claim credit for the jobs results at the same time as his paymaster, the ACTU, is saying that they are not real jobs—and we know that for a fact, because the Minister for Family and Community Services in 2002 said on Meet the press that a casual job was not a real job. I remember it quite clearly, and so will the former minister sitting alongside me. The minister at that time said that casual jobs are not real jobs.

So today we have them claiming, 'What a great success! We have got all these new people in casual and part-time jobs,' but they used to say that they were not real jobs. So you see the hypocrisy of the Australian Labor Party right there before you—and those who are supporting this government and the continual damage that they are doing to our country should hang their head in shame.

The issue which of course is the elephant in the room—and again I refer to those who have backed and supported the introduction of the carbon tax even though it was promised at the last election that it would not be delivered—is the impact that the carbon tax will have on regional Australia. I will refer to an article that appeared today in the Southern Times in the McLaren Vale area. The Onkaparinga Council, which is the council responsible for that area, has released its budget and, interestingly, it is increasing its rates.

Mr Windsor interjecting—

The member for New England may laugh at the people of McLaren Vale, but they are going to have to deal with a 6.25 per cent increase in rates. And guess what? The carbon tax will be blamed for the increase in rates. The Onkaparinga Council, which looks after McLaren Vale—an important regional area in our country, producing the world's finest wine, and I think everyone would agree with that—is quite clearly now being put under additional pressure. That is why this MPI that was proposed by the Leader of the National Party is so important for us to debate here in this place—not quite as important as hearing the Prime Minister's explanation about the Labor Party funding the member for Dobell's interesting activities. This is actually a very important issue for us to be debating.

Tonight we will hear an alternative Prime Minister put forward a plan for Australia. That is what we will hear. We will hear from someone who is experienced in government and who has the judgment to make the right decisions and lead Australia down the right path. He knows—

Dr Mike Kelly interjecting—

The minister at the table, who represents a regional area, should be ashamed about what he is doing to his area. You should be ashamed about the increased costs you will put on people with your carbon tax—the carbon tax that you promised the people of Queanbeyan and the people of Batemans Bay that you would not deliver, Minister. We will see in a little over six weeks time the introduction of the carbon tax which will destroy so many of the opportunities for the people who live in Eden-Monaro. Hopefully at the next election we will see the election of Mr Peter Hendy, who will take the seat of Eden-Monaro on the back of a carbon tax—on the back of the tax you said would not be introduced, Minister; on the back of a carbon tax you promised would never be introduced. Long be it over your head, Minister.

Dr Mike Kelly interjecting—

This is a bad budget for regional Australia. There is the elephant in the room of the carbon tax—and I am sure the member for Newcastle will stand up following my contribution and recommit her support to that carbon tax, because the people of Newcastle love it! They just love it! They just want it so desperately! The great coal producers of Newcastle desperately want this carbon tax! They are marching in the streets, asking, 'Please, bring on a carbon tax for us: the one that was promised there would not be "under a government I lead". We want it.' And so do the people of New England! They are waiting for their opportunity as well to make their voice known, to take their democratic right to express their view about a promise that was given to them at the last election which was a complete and utter fib. We know that for a fact, because it is about to be introduced very, very shortly.

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