Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is embarrassing for the government to have to put up someone who talks about robbing from stillborn babies. What an absolute disgrace. It shows just how low this government is. This government came to power with the promise it would be an adult government, it would be a better government, and what did it do? It broke every promise it made—every single promise. No cuts to health—broken. No changes to pension—broken. They wanted to go out and get young people under the age of 30 and make them wait six months after they lose a job that could be in the automotive manufacturing industry, which this government closed with its ham-fisted approach, causing a great rise in unemployment in places like Victoria and Brisbane, where manufacturing was a key part of our success. Then you get the creodont over there who says, 'Oh, if it wasn't for Tony, we wouldn't have low petrol prices.' What an absolute blockhead to sit there and say the Prime Minister is the reason we have low petrol prices.

They also came out in their first term of government—in the first session—and what did they do? They went over there, did their little deal with the Greens and removed the debt ceiling in this country. We do not know day to day how much debt this country is in, because they did a little side deal and took it off the books. They could not be open and honest. We had a debt ceiling and would have to come in and actually explain to the parliament what we were getting money for, but what did they do? They removed that.

This week we have seen the extraordinarily repentant member for Warringah. Every day he is like he is in a confessional box at the party room—'I repent my sins; I will change'—and he comes out and does exactly the same thing. Nothing has changed, and people see through that. People know that nothing has changed with this Prime Minister. He has always been just a brawler. That is all he has ever done; that is all he will ever do. The country needs leadership.

Ms Claydon interjecting—

Well, we have the shadow boxer sitting down at the front bench over there in the member for Wentworth, who, when it came to the crunch, did not have the guts to stand up to the Prime Minister. He will never have the guts to run this country.

But we have seen this week in and out all the little dealings and side dealings done, people flipping sides—and all we have seen constantly is the same rhetoric from those opposite, constantly talking about the same things. They support a GP tax. They sit there and say, 'Medicare is unsustainable,' but not one cent goes to Medicare. So how do you make it sustainable by not putting more money in it? You have actually doubled the debt and you sit there and talk about borrowing money. Seriously, Craig; mate, try to read what you have said and what you have done.

The difference between us and those in the government is that we actually stand up for Australian families. We stand and make sure people can get jobs, get to see a doctor when they need it, get their kids the opportunity to go to school without being forced to carry a $100,000 on their backs as they go out in the world and start their lives. We actually go out and support industries to make sure jobs are there and the jobs are sustainable.

The first thing you did this year after you hit control-alt-delete for the third time—'We're gonna reboot; we're gonna reboot'—is come out and have this inquiry into removing the minimum wage and taking away penalty rates. And what does the member for Warringah come out and say? He comes out and says, 'Well, if you don't want to work weekends, you don't have to.' There are many people—people about whom those opposite obviously have no care—like police—

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