Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Treasury Legislation Amendment (Repeal Day) Bill 2014. I have listened with interest to the contributions, the chest thumping, coming from those opposite about this. It is almost as if the government see this bill as the pinnacle of their legislative achievements. I was here for the first repeal day, and I was here for the second repeal day. I want to contrast the speeches made about that and the speeches that we have had over the last few days and weeks about the loss of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and former Queensland Treasurer Wayne Goss. These speeches about repeal day need to be seen through the prism of these political leaders of vision. The shadows this casts on the political pygmies opposite are unbelievable. It shows how small their vision is. We have had people coming in here to talk about what is effectively 'turning up for work day'. It is not repeal day; it is just 'turning up for work day'. This is what every government does. Every government needs to get rid of redundant bits of legislation when they can.

Those opposite talk about their vision, about where their great ship of state is headed with Prime Minister Abbott at the tiller. But he has no vision at all. He is worried about the barnacles and what needs to be taken off, but he has no vision whatsoever as to where the ship should be heading. They come up and say: 'Everyone that has turned up at work today, you need to be celebrated. In fact, we need to give you a medal.' They call it repeal day, but it is really just the work of good government. Regulations are not inherently evil, as those opposite seem to be suggesting. Most of the front bench of the government were here under the Howard government in the 41st Parliament. Most of the front bench of the government today were members of the Howard government. They were part of the government that brought—

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