Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that, while his government has prioritised its internal leadership conflict, Australia faces the following challenges: a housing affordability crisis, the impact of climate change, particularly on our water resources, insecurity in the workplace due to Work Choices and capacity constraints in our economy due to the skills crisis and infrastructure deficits? If after 11 years in office the Prime Minister can no longer effectively govern his party, how can he now claim to continue to be able to govern the country?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian people face both challenges and choices. The challenge they face is to make sure that the prosperity generated over the last decade is not only preserved but expanded to the benefit of all of the Australian people. That will not be achieved by rolling back essential reforms. It will not be achieved by re-embracing a doctrine of higher unemployment. I spoke yesterday of the possibility that this nation could become, in the next three years, a full employment society. The only threat to this country becoming a full employment society is the election of a Rudd led Labor government. That is the only threat. I would say to the Leader of the Opposition: yes, this country does face challenges; they are the challenges that have been met over the last decade by the government I lead and they will be met over the years ahead by the coalition if it is re-elected. The Australian people will face a choice. They will decide, first and foremost, their future and the future of their country. In the course of making that decision they will decide not only my future but the future of the Leader of the Opposition.