Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

Of course we were in government for nine years—I'll take the interjection—but for how long are you going to run that argument: 'You were in government for nine years'? You've been in government for six months.

And this is what I'm coming back to—that point. I'm not being critical of the other side. I'm making the point in facts. If you're not able to have that debate without getting angry or without shouting down the other members for making points of fact, then perhaps you might want to examine why you're here.

If you talk about the PBS, again, that was something that this government did. But we're here to discuss the MPI that people are doing it tough. If you want to look at your own budget, there is very little in that budget that assists people in the regions with their cost of living. I spoke of Peter Feros from the Dorrego Hotel in the chamber last week. Peter Feros owns the Dorrego Hotel. He had his contract coming up for renewal. The cheapest electricity contract he could get for next year was an increase of $25,000. Where are the measures to bring that down? There are none. In fact, prices are going up by 56 per cent over the next two years, and gas, 44 per cent.

Trotting out the line it that you inherited $1 trillion in debt is simply misleading the public, because when we came into government it was almost half a trillion. You sat in opposition and you signed up to every single support package to keep our people in work, to keep employers and employees together, and then you trot out this line: 'Oh, you were in government for nine years and you left us a $1 trillion debt.' You came with us all the way. You were there all the way. It was your people and your businesses that benefited from JobKeeper and JobSeeker. The truth sometimes hurts.

That $275 was promised by your leader, the Prime Minister, which he has walked away from. He won't repeat it; he won't say it again, and you don't like it.

Government members interjecting—

So, when I stand here and listen to the interjections—

Government members interjecting—

I won't be lectured from—

Government members interjecting—

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