Anne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Twenty-six—just to put that in perspective: that's about eight more than the number of women in the Liberal caucus. Also, it's the number of times that this Prime Minister voted against a royal commission over a period of two years. This isn't anything unusual. This is in the LNP government's DNA. Their DNA goes to protecting the banks over the victims. Their DNA goes to engaging big business and engaging the banks over and above supporting the victims and looking after everyday Australians. Their DNA goes to dismissing successive calls for a royal commission, terming it a populist whinge, a political exercise, crass populism and a distraction. Their DNA goes to accusing Australians of being whingers, of being beggars and of lacking aspiration when they dare to ask this government to do their job. It's in their DNA.

How does the Prime Minister respond to some of the abhorrent revelations that are coming out of the banking royal commission? There was the evidence that we saw about Grant Stewart's son, with Down syndrome—bullied into signing up for insurance that he didn't want, didn't need and didn't understand. How does the Prime Minister respond to that? He said:

... the problem I didn't see and I should have seen, the problem that also needed to be addressed, was the hurt that people were feeling as a result of the banking and financial sector.

'The problem I didn't see.' So, because he didn't see it, it didn't exist, but on this side we saw it. On this side we knew, and that's why we kept calling for a banking royal commission. We spoke to the people, we heard their concerns, we listened to Australians and, time and time again, called on the government to instigate a royal commission that they had to be dragged to, kicking and screaming.

I don't care how many pins you wear on your lapel. It doesn't matter how many you wear or where you wear them. This government will always be on the side of the banks. They'll always be on the side of big business over Australians. As I said, it's in their DNA; it's who they are. The advice that this Prime Minister has for Australians who are whingers or beggars is: 'Get over it.' 'Get over it,' he says.

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