Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Our policy is to get rid of the carbon tax, and we have. What is the next scare campaign? Malcolm Turnbull is going to cancel Christmas? Barnaby Joyce is going to shoot the Easter Bunny? What is the next scare campaign? The Australian people have moved on. The Australian people are better than the Australian Labor Party. The Australian people simply do not want Labor back. I know it may come as a rude newsflash, but they do not want you back. The Australian people are saying to Labor, 'You had your chance, you failed and we do not want you back.' I know it is painful. I know opposition is no fun; it is no fun at all—I had six or so years there. But the not so scary scare campaign is not working with the Australian people. The Australian people honoured us with their vote. They honoured us with the opportunity to govern the greatest nation in the world, and they instinctively understood that we had a big job to do. They knew we had a big job to do; they instinctively understood that we had to clean up Labor's mess. I get out a lot in Gippsland, I get out a lot in regional Australia, and a lot of people from all walks of life talk to me about very important issues. They talk about roads, they talk about health, they talk about education, they talk about jobs, and do you know what? In the past two years not one person has ever said to me in Gippsland, 'Oh gee, I wish Labor was back.' They do not want you back. I wish I could tell you it is not personal but it I am sorry it is personal, member for Jagajaga. They simply do not trust you. The Australian people do not trust you. They do not trust you to make the big decisions. The Australian people do not trust you with their money and they simply will not trust you with their vote. We are getting on with the job of delivering for regional Australians and governing for all Australians. While Labor is stuck in the past, with more and more not so scary scare campaigns—

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