Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Before I get into my main remarks, I want to do a bit of a history fact check for those opposite. On Roads to Recovery funding under the previous government, we helped them to fix the mess they created. Remember when they introduced an increase to the fuel excise and couldn't get it through the parliament? They couldn't get it through the Senate, couldn't get it through the House. It was actually the current Prime Minister—then the opposition spokesperson for infrastructure—who came up with the solution and suggested, 'Let's roll that extra money you've collected, without having authority from the parliament, into Roads to Recovery.' You couldn't get a better champion for the Roads to Recovery program than the Prime Minister of this country and the Australian Labor Party. That's how committed we are to it, and that is why the minister could answer that question in question time with one word: yes.

On black spot funding, I've got the privilege of being the Victorian chair of the Black Spot Program, carrying on the tradition from when they were in government, when it was being chaired by the member for Monash. It's a privileged position. It meets once a year. We've met. We're continuing. That program is not under threat. Again, this is another opportunity for those opposite to try to play politics. These are programs that continue to be funded, programs that we're proud to be part of and have backed in. But we shouldn't be surprised at the hypocrisy of those opposite. This MPI reeks of it.

Then there is the most recent fearmongering that they're trying to introduce to the Australian public and body politic: the 1.5 million extra migrants that they keep saying are going to take all our homes. For a moment I felt like it was 1901 and all of a sudden the White Australia policy was back, hearing those opposite talking here—the White Australia policy. Let's bring back the fear about migrants! It has been abolished, for those opposite. You might have missed the memo. It has been abolished, so why are we standing here today, trying to divide our community about housing and having a debate about race?

There is the hypocrisy of those opposite in all the speeches we've had so far from the Liberals and the Nationals about the Voice. They say, 'We can't support the Voice, because we believe it is about dividing race. We believe it is race based.' Yet in the very next breath they come in here in question time and continue to ask questions and put forward MPIs that are about nothing but race, trying to suggest to Australians, 'If you are struggling to find a home, it's because of migrants coming in,' and failing to be honest about what they did in government.

There was a pause in migration in this country during the pandemic. That happened worldwide. Borders were shut. Prior to the pandemic they were quite happy to have the place flooded with temporary migrants—migrants who were exploited, migrants who went from visa to visa, desperate to stay in this country. They wanted to contribute to this country but couldn't get a pathway to permanent residency. Those opposite are happy for you to come, but not to establish roots, not to establish a future, not to establish a base. When so many of us have a proud migrant history in this country, they want to deny that in the future. They want to deny it to the people who are here right now who say, 'I want to stay.'

All of us have met those beautiful international students, those beautiful temporary skilled workers who say, 'Lisa, what's my pathway? How can I stay? I love this country. My kids love their school. I want to stay.' This government is proud that we've established that pathway. We are saying: 'An end to the rollover of temporary migrant visas!' We are establishing a pathway for those people who are making a contribution and are restoring that proud legacy that this country has. If we are genuinely going to be a country that is built on a proud multicultural migration policy, then we need to end the exploitation of temporary migrant workers that has been occurring. That is the legacy of those opposite. It is hypocrisy, fearmongering, and now we see a return to some colonialistic ideals, where they're saying, 'You can't get a home because of this other issue, or if you're struggling to get a home, it's because of migrants.'

It's embarrassing and shameful that those opposite are invoking this kind of fear amongst the Australian people. I call on them to do better. Do better not just for this parliament but for the Australian people, because they are exhausted and tired of this divisive politics. Do better with what you do on a day-to-day basis in this place, and do better in your communities.

See this speech in context