Simon Kennedy (Cook, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

What's really going on here? We've got a desperate attempt to change the media narrative by the Labor government, who are so bereft of ideas, so bereft of things to say and so bereft of things to bring up that they go clutching at a scare campaign on the NBN. Average Australians are facing a cost-of-living crisis. Many of Australia's businesses are facing an energy crisis and a cost-of-business crisis. There are big issues, like gambling reform, that we should be addressing and discussing. But, unfortunately, those members across the chamber cannot get these issues up in their party room and cannot get aligned perspectives, so, instead, they cynically cook up an NBN scare campaign.

The irony is that, as they're pushing a bill to stop misinformation, they cynically come up with an NBN scare campaign when there's nothing here. We discussed it: 'What is this? What do they want to talk about? We've never heard of it.' Our shadow minister for communications had not even been reached out to or briefed on the National Broadband Network Companies Amendment (Commitment to Public Ownership) Bill 2024 before it was brought on. So what you're seeing here is a scare campaign to try and change a media narrative about a government that's running out of steam, that is flailing and that is failing to address the very real issues that everyday Australians are facing.

Real incomes are down nine per cent. What does that mean? People can buy nine per cent less than they could two years ago. Inflation is still stubbornly high at 3.4 per cent, and people's mortgages are still incredibly high. Interest rates are at 4.75 per cent. They're going down everywhere else in the world, but not here. We could be talking about these issues. We could be talking about gambling reform, months after the widely acclaimed Murphy report was accepted. The Leader of the Opposition, in his budget reply speech, has said what the coalition would be doing on gambling. Yet we're still waiting for Labor's position. We could be talking about that today.

I would much rather be talking about gambling reform today—taking a moral stance on gambling and actually addressing a problem that's affecting millions of Australians. I'm sick of explaining to my kids, during live sport, why they should be talking about the first try scorer. I'd love to be debating legislation that actually addresses an issue that's facing everyday Australians and solving a problem that everyday Australians face. Instead, we're talking about a non-event. We are talking about misinformation: 'How can we distract Australians from the problems they have and the crisis this government's in?' It's sad, it's cynical and it's disappointing.

I've only been in the House for a very short time, but it is disappointing. We could be talking about how to make this place more efficient. I, at least, believe—and I think the Australian public believe—we have better things to be talking about than this.

You might scoff over there, but I don't know why. If you're speaking next, I'd love you to explain to me why we're talking about something we don't have a policy on. Deputy Speaker Freelander, if they're scoffing over there, I'd like to understand why we're talking about something we don't even have a policy on.

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