Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I think it is a bit tough for the member for Kooyong to have to make way for Peter Costello. I think it is pretty rough. He probably wants to come back and see if he can get back.

We understand that in this country our economy is ticking over on a macro level. There is, as many have said, a patchwork economy and that is why this government is not just saying, 'Mining companies that are doing very well—you just keep your money and we'll just let everyone else suffer.' We have had a lot of criticism from the opposition about this. They have said, 'Don't bring in a mining tax; don't do this; don't do that,' and we have heard them talk about the patchwork economy as well and how we need to do more. Well, when you look through all the details, the opposition offer nothing to address fairness in this country. In fact, they plan to vote against the company tax cut to help companies across this country. I just cannot believe we are in a situation where, as the member has quite rightly put it, the Liberal Party vote with the Greens to oppose a tax cut. Once again, it has taken this side of the House to look at the patchwork economy and say, 'There are some areas that are doing very well but there are some areas that are struggling, so we're going to help out.' Of course, it is opposed by those opposite. They oppose helping businesses with a one per cent tax cut, and they are against helping families by opposing the schoolkids bonus.

I want to talk a little bit about the schoolkids bonus, because I believe that this is so important. I was at the Hallett Cove Shopping Centre on the weekend, and I actually had parents come up to me and say: 'Thank you to the Labor government that is delivering this; this is important money that we need to help our students. More importantly, we are insulted that the Liberal Party would say that we would just waste this money.' I had a number of parents come to up me to say that. I personally think it is insulting that the opposition thinks that parents will just waste this money and that they will not spend it on the kids.

When you ask the opposition why they think this and why the baby bonus is different, the answer that comes back from the Leader of the Opposition is, 'It just is'. That is not a good enough answer for Australian families. Australian families want to know why the Leader of the Opposition and all of those opposite do not trust them—do not trust them to spend the money on their kids. They are very disappointed, and I know that that message from the opposition was a disappointing message heard loud and clear by families in my electorate—

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