Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

Let's not forget the member for Rankin. He was the chief of staff for the member for Lilley, who stood at this very spot and said, 'The four years of surpluses I announce tonight.' Where are those four years of surpluses? That's why this nation is in so much trouble. It is because of the member for Lilley. Thank goodness he's still here, because every time we look at him we can remind ourselves of the debt and despair that Labor in six sorry years plunged this nation into.

Then we have the member for Shortland and the member for Hunter. They should listen more to the member for Paterson. She sounded them out recently. She did. She stuck up for coal workers. She stuck up for coalmines. She stuck up for coal-fired power stations. Good on you, Member for Paterson. Come over this way. We believe you. It's a shame the member for Shortland and the member for Hunter don't, because they don't stand up for coal workers. I tell you what—our people do. We stand up for coal workers and we stand up for all workers. That's what we do. That's why we are lowering the company tax rate. We are getting it down to 25 per cent. What does the member for Maribyrnong want to do? He wants to push it up well beyond 30 per cent. That's what Labor stand for. They don't stand up for workers. Look at the member for Maribyrnong's record—Chiquita Mushrooms and Cleanevent. He sold those union members out. Rest assured that, if he gets the opportunity as Prime Minister, he'll do it again.

Dr Mike Kelly interjecting—

Don't you start, Member for Eden-Monaro. Why haven't you stood up? Why didn't you stand up for ships when Labor didn't build a ship? Not one ship did Labor build in six years. We are getting on with the job. We are spending billions on our defence program to make sure that our national security is what it ought to be. What did Labor do?

Dr Mike Kelly interjecting—

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