Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am proud to rise in support of the proposition that all of these measures be discharged from the Notice Paper, and I am proud to stand here with all of my Labor colleagues trying to put to bed the 2014 budget and the cruel austerity agenda that was once proudly propagated by this government when it sought to end what it called the 'age of entitlement'. And as previous Labor speakers have observed in this debate—well, it is not really much of a debate, is it? No-one from the government side has spoken, not even the Minister for Social Services. The minister, who is at the table, is not even paying attention to the contributions that are being made, as he tries to slink away from measures that he is, no doubt, personally deeply committed to but does not have the courage to advocate for in this place or in the community. The minister understands that, since that 2014 budget, the Leader of the Opposition and the Labor team have made the case to the Australian people that this kind of austerity is not acceptable. This government accepts that point politically, but it does not accept it in its heart. On this side of the House, we know that it does not resile from a single one of these measures. That is proved with a detailed look at the current budget and the current policy settings of this government, which continue to inflict pain on those who are least able to afford it, as the member for Jagajaga made clear. I hope to have time to draw out some of those measures.

What is striking about this government is that it is so utterly pointless. I wonder if the member for Wentworth can explain to himself, much less to the Australian people, what was the point in him replacing the member for Warringah as Prime Minister. It is unclear to me, and it is unclear to anyone reading the commentary following the budget yesterday. I hope that the ministers at the table might be able to enlighten us, but I suspect they will not even try.

It is becoming clearer and clearer this is a government that is completely dysfunctional as well as a government that lacks the courage of its convictions. But, on this side, we do not mistake that lack of courage for a lack of conviction; we know this is a government that sees inequality at a 75-year high and seeks to deepen that inequality. We see that in the agenda to continue to push for a $50 billion giveaway at a time of record company profits, at a time of record low wages growth—record low wages everywhere except in the revenue forecasts of this government of course. I am sure the minister will be a firm advocate to see—I do not know—public sector bargaining reflect the wage forecasts.

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