Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

. I rise obviously to talk against the MPI. I am a new member of parliament and this is all a bit foreign to me. There has been a lot of behaviour in this chamber over the last nine months that has reminded me at times of kindergarten behaviour. Taking that theme and running with it for a little bit, I remember back to my early days kindergarten and I think that the MPI portion of the day is like we used to have after lunch in kindergarten: time for a fairytale. What we have today from those opposite is just another fairytale.

I specifically want to address the member for Sydney saying that we do not have a problem. I am so sick of the commentary around this. Why? Because I am following the group of people and you could write their commercial experience on the back of a postage stamp. We are in strife. Under their watch, health has gone from $40 billion in 2007-08 to $65 billion last year. That is a 45 per cent increase and it is unsustainable. Welfare has gone from $97 billion in 2007-08—actual numbers which businesses operate on—to $140 billion. That is a 43 per cent increase and it is unsustainable. Inside that welfare, the age pension has gone from $34 billion a year to $58 billion a year. That is a 71 per cent increase in six years. Those are actual figures. Those opposite own them. We have inherited them and we must do something about them.

I want to delve down. This week in question time—and I do not have five minutes unfortunately—we heard about a double-income family on $60,000 and we heard about a single-income family on $60,000. Both have two kids aged zero to six in the first instance. I want to run through their numbers. Two wages of $30,000 make up the $60,000. They get $10,067 in support out of this budget. They pay $5,200 in tax. That is $5,000 less, and that is without health, public education and childcare rebates. The single-income family that the opposition referred to on $60,000 with kids, aged eight to 13, pay $8,635 in tax and they receive $8,350 in benefits without health care or public education. It is just not sustainable. That is the problem. Those opposite had six years to do something about the problem, but it proved too hard.

Whilst they spoke time and time again about surpluses, they were all talk and no action. Where is their representation for the MPI if they are so outraged? We have two of them left. They have come into this chamber and questioned our integrity. We need to do something for the schoolkids who run through this building and for everyone's kids, because we are passing the buck to them. We have $330 billion worth of gross debt now and in this budget there are $200 billion of unfunded liabilities that do not even add up to that number. There is also $65 billion still to go on the construction of the NBN. When you add that to the $67 billion—and here is the kicker—we are up near $1 trillion of debt. This is my story and life: it is always easier to tell people what they want to hear; it takes courage to tell people what they need to hear. Those on this side of the chamber have the courage to do that. The Prime Minister has the courage to do that. I do as the member for Reid. I applaud the government for the steps they are taking. Yes, they are tough but they are necessary. We will not talk about a surplus. We will deliver a surplus, and so we must.

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