Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Herbert for his question and for his service. Earlier today we awarded the first of the defence veterans pins, which are available to all veterans in Australia as a way of symbolising their service and so they can also be very well known to others in the community. Many from this chamber from both sides, including the member for Herbert, will be proud to wear their pin. We presented the first today. I say to all of them: thank you for your service. It is a great opportunity for Australians all around the country to say that same simple set of words, which I know are deeply appreciated by all veterans around the country.

We came into this last sitting fortnight with a lot of work that had been done by this parliament. Through the legislation the government has put forward over the last two weeks we have been able to legislate the tax cuts, which we said we would do at the election; we have been able to establish the Future Drought Fund; we have been able to keep terrorist foreign fighters from Australia with new legislation to keep Australians safe; we are keeping the cashless debit card program running to protect more vulnerable Australians from social harm, bringing that legislation though the parliament; we are closing more tax loopholes for foreign multinationals, protecting children from sexual exploitation and protecting the hard earned retirement savings of millions of Australians from undue erosion through inappropriate insurance arrangements. As we came into this fortnight that is what we were doing: getting on with the job and providing that certain and stable leadership—putting the promises that we made at the election into legislative effect and keeping faith with those who showed trust in us at the last election.

But over the past fortnight we've continued that work. I am pleased that legislation has passed to establish the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme; that we've established the Emergency Response Fund, ensuring we are better prepared as a nation to respond to national disasters through a new $4 billion fund which is providing the resilience that is needed in a country such as Australia, which is used to having to deal with national disasters.

We began the grandfathering of conflicted remuneration so financial advisers must put the interests of their customers first. We have given police new powers to prevent terror attacks at airports. We've established the new Australian Defence Veterans' Covenant that acknowledges and thanks veterans, as I said, for their service and to acknowledge their families. And this week, through this House alone, we have ratified the government's free trade agreements with Peru, with Indonesia and with Hong Kong. We have provided extra drought support for affected farmers, with the farm household allowance. And the big stick legislation passed through this House. That's almost 50 bills going through this place since the last election, because we're a government that is getting on with the job, serving the Australian people, putting those Australians first and staying focused on their needs.

And on that note, Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

See this speech in context