Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

That is old, isn't it, Jen! How many times have I heard we do not have a revenue problem? They say, 'There's no revenue problem in this country; all we need to do is cut spending.' Well, today they are walking away from that, not because they do not believe in it. They are walking away because, led by Bill Shorten, this caucus—the people on this side of the chamber—have fought hard for the people we represent, because we believe in the people we represent. We believe that, if you give mothers the support they need financially while they are at home looking after new infants, they will make a better contribution to this country in the future. We believe in our young people. We believe that, given the right supports, they will find a way 'when times are better', to quote the Treasurer, to contribute. When we get to better times, if we have supported the most vulnerable, they will be fit and ready to take their place, engage in employment and make a better contribution.

The government are torn now. They cannot decide which narrative they want to run. They suddenly found they do have a revenue problem and their answer to fixing that revenue problem, of course, is for all of Australia to pay more in the Medicare levy—but the millionaires are still going to get their tax cuts. They are twisted. They are trying to find a new way forward, but it is all just another fake reset. We had the fake tradie; now we are having another fake reset. This Prime Minister is very confused about the direction he wants to take this country in. He is now busy doing what he does best, which is something about marketing—'If we just say the right things and do the opposite, somehow we'll deliver for the Australian people.'

The government need to hang their heads in shame today. They have been unable to win the arguments. They have been unable to convince the Australian people that they have the right measures, and they are taking some of those measures off the agenda today. I know that they do not believe in what they are doing in here. The minister proves he does not believe in what he is doing. He proves it by his silence and his refusal to contribute to the debate. They all prove it because they were here every time to vote for their measures but they are not in here today while they are discharging them. The benches are all but empty. The minister is not even joining the debate. There is nobody from the back bench prepared to come in here and talk about it. There is nobody here to defend what they are doing today.

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