Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I say to the previous speaker: you can be assured that we are very proud of what we're doing with the minimum wage in that increase—very proud indeed. I want to acknowledge, also, the previous speaker's acknowledgment of the massive debt that was racked up by those opposite, in former governments, before COVID. When no-one even knew what COVID was, there was a massive debt racked up. So it's a bit rich, I've got to say, for those opposite to talk about broken promises—very rich. Their governments—in previous iterations, under previous prime ministers, who, of course, were stabbed in the back—probably broke more promises than any other governments in the history of the Commonwealth.

Those opposite loved nothing more than to make an announcement and to have a photo op. But, when it came to the delivery, it was a very, very different situation indeed. Often it would be a case of an announcement, a photo op—the friendly media would give them front pages—but then very little happened after that. Their lips were zipped at that point. Then, of course, they used distraction in order to try and pretend that they were delivering.

But the reality was that, with three prime ministers, they were more involved in the internals and, in particular, as we heard today, using the posts of defence minister and veterans ministers as prizes in factional battles around knifing leaders. That is not to take anything away from the previous speaker's efforts when he held one of those posts, but he would have to say, without a doubt, that that chopping and changing of ministers in those portfolios led to an inability to deliver capability that has left our nation now, essentially, with a very difficult transition to submarine strike capability into the future, at a time when there's perhaps the most difficult set of strategic circumstances facing us.

But who could forget—if we do go back in history a bit, because I think this is where the rot always started with those opposite, and some of those on the front bench and some of those on the back bench were part of these governments—Tony Abbott? Remember that government, the one that he led?

You would also remember that he said something like: 'No cuts to the ABC and SBS. No cuts to education and health.' Then he stood up and delivered what was probably the worst budget ever delivered in this country. It did the exact opposite of what he had promised prior to that election.

Also what about their promise then for stable government? They stabbed in the back one Prime Minister and then another Prime Minister. Those opposite, if I'm not mistaken—and I'm happy to be corrected—hold the record when it comes to knifing their own leaders. I reckon they hold that record by a country mile. Does anyone want to give another situation that was as destabilising as that period in the last nine or 10 years?

They did a backflip, as I said, on the submarine purchases and $5 billion was wasted. That money has just disappeared. Anyone who lives in regional Australia knows that $5 billion can do a fair bit. That left us not only in a strategic difficulty but also with fiscal waste. It is forever a stain on those governments. The list of their failed promises in the defence arena alone would have me here half a day, and I haven't got much time left. There were so many promises.

I want to touch on First Nations. They said that they would engage more with First Nations, but then refused to back the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which came from the heart of First Nations people and was about what they needed to move forward. They ignored that. Then they called a royal commission into youth detention in the Northern Territory, but didn't do anything to help with the implementation of those recommendations. That's another stain on those opposite, which they should be ashamed of.

See this speech in context