Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

If you listened to the shadow Treasurer before, you would think that he was voting against this legislation. It was a pitiful, pathetic performance by the shadow Treasurer. You see the crocodile tears from those opposite when it comes to issues of cost-of-living relief. Who could forget their vote in this place when we were providing energy relief? Who could forget their opposition to pharmaceutical changes that would help people across the country by allowing 60-day scripts, not just 30-day scripts? Who could forget their opposition to the Housing Australia Future Fund while they were complaining about the fact that people are doing it tough in terms of housing? Who could forget their opposition to fee-free TAFE? They opposed it! They've either voted against cost-of-living relief or made public statements against it. They simply say one thing in this place but vote differently—and we saw the shadow Treasurer do that. They vote against what they say should be done, whether it's with housing, energy or making medicines cheaper.

The legislation before the chamber is about cost-of-living relief, but those opposite do exactly the opposite. Don't listen to what they say; look at what they do. It's what they do that really counts. It is the doers of the word who are righteous, as it says in the Good Book, and not those opposite when they come to this issue. This legislation is about a progressive taxation system, a fairer taxation system, that will provide tax relief to every Australian. This is a good piece of legislation. This will benefit 90 per cent of the taxpayers in my electorate. That is a good thing in a rural and regional electorate in Queensland—

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