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

I rise to briefly speak on the Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2016-2017, the Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2016-2017 and the Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2016-2017. I echo the sentiments of my colleagues on this side of the House that say this government, both before the election and since the election, has been nothing but an absolute failure at looking after people who need support that government should provide. The trickle-down economic theory that the government runs does not work. It has never worked anywhere, and it is not going to work in this day and age.

While the government talks about trickle-down economics, we see their popularity on a great, big, fast slide. That is because they have focused on one thing. The government has been looking after big businesses at the expense of families and people who can least afford it. It is a government that is too scared to come out and say, 'Look, we've made a blue here and there, and we will look to address it.' To illustrate the point, I use the GP Super Clinics program that was started under the Gillard and Rudd governments. We have had one open in Wallan since 2013. The health ministers in these conservative governments refused to come out and officially open it because that would then stuff up their rhetoric about the GP Super Clinics program being a failure. It is absolutely embarrassing that the government is too scared to come out and open something which not only is working for the community but is at the point of us saying, 'Hey, we have to look at how we extend this. How do we make it bigger, because of the amount of people going there and being part of the services?'

The minister laughs. He sits there at the table and laughs. This is a program that has delivered something strong in a regional area, and your lot are too gutless to come out and open it because it means you would have to admit you were wrong. It is almost like Fonzie in Happy Daysthey just cannot say the word 'wrong'. They stumble and say 'wr-wr-wr', but nothing comes out. The failure of this government is just about endless. We have seen the now Prime Minister—

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