Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

If those across from me wish to discuss incompetence and mishandling, we can certainly have that discussion. The title of the matter of public importance is:

This Government's incompetence and mishandling of the issues facing Australia.

But I'm going to talk about what took place in this place over the last nine or 10 years. Let's not forget that, firstly, the former Prime Minister secretly assumed five different ministries, including Treasury and Home Affairs. How can you forget that? This was done without any public knowledge or even the acknowledgement of his own members of parliament; his own cabinet had no idea. If you want to talk about incompetence, that gets the big tick for incompetence.

But it's not just that. Those on the other side are experts at mishandling. It's not that long ago that we were talking in this place about 435,000 Australians—you want to talk about incompetence—that were forced to pay a debt that they never had. They on the other side denied it. If you want to talk about incompetence, that is incompetence: making innocent people pay a debt they didn't have, an unjust burden totalling $1.8 billion through the robodebt scheme. That was an ordeal that no Australian should have endured. How do you strip them of the sense of security, of the very support they've earned through years of contributing themselves? Well, those across there did that, and that was incompetence. They did it with ease because they were quite capable and happy to be incompetent.

Their skill at mishandling doesn't stop there. They've perfected the art of saying no, to the detriment of this nation. They've said no to free TAFE, no to the Energy Price Relief Plan, no to a permanent pathway for temporary protection visa holders and no to startup loans and better paid jobs. They even said no to the Housing Australia Future Fund, a policy that was passed here today, which we're all proud of, and that will provide housing and a roof over the head of those that can least afford it. Meanwhile, we've upped the minimum wage, and it's no surprise that they also disagreed with that. And we funded an historic pay rise for aged care workers. Again, they didn't agree.

Let everyone be reminded that, whilst they were in power, they neglected the health of Australians. They drained a substantial $50 billion from our public health system in the time that they were in government, which is proof that they're incompetent because that was to the detriment of the Australian public. We've voted in this place to build a better Australia to ensure we have healthcare systems. But if you're incompetent you'll bring down the healthcare system, and that's what they've done. That is what they've left us with: a health system that they ran to the ground. They ran it into the ground because they were incompetent and incapable of running a system. They drained, as I said, $50 billion from the public health system whilst they were in government. Of course, they wanted to jack up the cost of medicines by $5 per script, and now they constantly oppose measures that would make medicines more affordable for Australians. They've ignored the rising cost of living. They ignored it and ignored it. They ignored environmental concerns and the pressing housing crisis.

We have created—it was announced today—half a million new jobs in just 13 months, and in my state they've had the lowest figure for unemployment that they've ever had, setting a record pace for any new government. We on this side are committed to the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, the most substantial investment in social and affordable housing in over a decade, and those on the other side continue to reject these initiatives. When they question our spending priorities, particularly in housing, you have to wonder: how can ensuring every Australian has a roof over their head ever be wrong? How can that ever be wrong?

What about a couple of weeks ago? We had legislation in this place—and I'm glad the Assistant Treasurer is here, because he'll recall it—to bring more transparency to offshore multinational accounts, giving us better ways of dealing with people who set up shelf companies offshore, and they opposed it. They absolutely opposed it, yet they were denying that robodebt existed. On one hand, they were quite happy to support their buddies and their friends with millions of dollars, but, on the other hand, when the poorest of the poor were being targeted with debts, they didn't want to know about it. That gives you an idea of where they are and what they are. Our government is a good government, and we continue to be a good government. (Time expired)

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