Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's been an article of faith in the Liberal Party, handed down in reverent tones from Liberal parent to Liberal child, that the Liberal Party stands for lower taxes while the godless socialists of the Labor Party seek only to tax and spend the nation into economic oblivion. The facts tell a different story, of course—has anybody heard about those two Labor budget surpluses? Facts rarely shake those of the deepest faith, but what a shock it must have been this week for even the bluest of blue believers to see holy writ being torn up before their eyes: a Labor government voting to cut taxes and a Liberal opposition voting to keep taxes higher. The Liberal leader even described Labor's tax cuts as a 'cruel hoax', despite the fact they contribute to a package of tax cuts, now delivered by a Labor government, that will see, on average, $2½ thousand put back into the pockets of Australian workers every year.

But I'll tell you what is a cruel hoax. Spending three years as Liberal leader voting against every cost-of-living relief measure the Labor government has put forward and then claiming to care about the cost of living—that's a cruel hoax. Spending a parliamentary career railing against so-called higher taxing governments but then voting to keep taxes higher—that's a cruel hoax. Opposing work-from-home flexibility, which saves workers the significant cost of travelling to and from an office, but then opposing workers having the right to disconnect from their employers when on their own time—that's a cruel hoax. Standing next to tradies and apprentices and claiming that he backs them, but voting against the same job, same pay laws that ensure workers are treated fairly on the job—that's a cruel hoax. Inviting employers to claim long lunches as tax breaks, but opposing their employees getting even modest tax cuts—that's a cruel hoax. Complaining about immigration while opposing the Labor government's cap on student visa numbers—that's a cruel hoax. Complaining about crime, when, as a Liberal minister, he presided over a migration system riddled with corruption and human trafficking, and did nothing to stop robodebt—that's a cruel hoax. Complaining about the cost of energy, when he did nothing as a senior Liberal minister for 10 years to produce more energy supply—that's a cruel hoax. Complaining about the cost of energy, but voting against Labor's power bill relief and against Labor's cap on domestic gas prices—that's a cruel hoax. Planning to spend hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayers' money developing nuclear reactors, when, as a Liberal minister, he said such a plan would be too expensive and take too long—that's a cruel hoax. Planning to cut thousands of public servant jobs, when he wasted millions of dollars on expensive consultants as a senior Liberal minister—that's a cruel hoax. Claiming he supports veterans while planning to cut the jobs of the staff who provide their services—that is a cruel hoax.

The next election will be called within days and will be held in May. In just three years, this federal Labor government has delivered a record number of new jobs, supported higher wages and fairer working conditions, delivered bigger and better tax cuts and halved Liberal inflation. We know the job's not done and we know people are still doing it tough. The difference between Labor and the Liberals is that Labor is doing something about it. Our measures are improving the economy over the long term after a decade of Liberal neglect and failure. We are fixing the skills crisis that we were left with with free TAFE. We are building more homes. We are delivering critical infrastructure, improving school and tertiary education and strengthening Medicare. We are doing this while providing affordable, responsible cost-of-living relief, backing in higher wages and delivering permanent tax cuts so workers earn more and keep more of what they earn.

The alternative is a divided Liberal Party at war with itself and its own principles, a Liberal Party wedded to a nuclear plan that is unaffordable, undeliverable and unnecessary, a Liberal Party that will smash the essential services Australians rely on, and all led by a Liberal leader whose own record as a Liberal minister is one of cuts and portfolio failure.

This will be my last contribution to this parliament. I use it to urge all listening to vote Labor at the May election in both the House of Representatives and in the Senate. In Lyons, vote 1 Rebecca White.

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