Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have received a letter from the honourable Leader of the Opposition proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely:

The urgent need for stable government focused on the needs of all Australians.

I call upon those members who approve of the proposed discussion to rise in their places.

More than the number of members required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today in question time we saw the sad, shrill spectacle of a government at war with itself and the spectacle of a Prime Minister who has always been much more effective as an alternative opposition leader than she has been as a real Prime Minister of this country.

It does not have to be like this. Our country can be better because we can have a better and more competent government. As an example of the kinds of things that can happen, I want to point to something that happened in this very parliament building when both sides of politics came together to pay tribute to Andrew Forrest and Warren Mundine for their work in securing 60,000 guaranteed jobs for Indigenous Australians. I am pleased to have the opportunity to pay tribute to Andrew Forrest in this parliament because: hasn't he been defamed by ministers of the Crown in this place far too often? I am pleased to pay tribute in this place to Warren Mundine, a great Australian who has been backstabbed too often by members opposite despite the fact that he is a former National President of the Australian Labor Party.

What happened in the Mural Hall in this parliament was that members of this place came together to do some good in a way that would have made Australians proud—to improve the lives of some of the most disadvantaged people in Australia, ensuring that kids go to school and adults go to work. It might be too much to hope for Australians more regularly to feel more proud of their parliament because we are no respecters of authority in this country, but we can be more proud in the future than we are right now. It might be too much to hope for Australians to be inspired by politicians because we look to ourselves, we look to our communities, we look to our families for inspiration, not normally our members of parliament. But we should at least be able to look at the government of this country for competence and trustworthiness. The tragedy is that we have an incompetent and untrustworthy government in this place right now.

I want to share with the House a quote, which I think everyone will find constructive. The quote runs:

The last week has seen us, the men and women of the Labor Party, focussed inwards… At times it's been ugly. I understand that. But as a result, Australians have had a gut-full of seeing us focus on ourselves.

That is not a quote from me. That is not quote from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition or the Leader of the National Party. It is a quote from the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, on 27 February last year. One year on, exactly the same thing is happening again. Here is another quote:

And the problem for the Prime Minister and this government is that it is ultimately not them who pay the price of this instability; it is Australian families. They cease to govern, they cease to deliver, they cease to develop plans for the future—and it is Australian working families who pay that price.

That was not me yesterday, not the Deputy Leader of the Opposition the day before but the current Prime Minister on 13 September 2007.

Well, haven't things changed for her? Hasn't the worm turned? Now we have this government in crisis, in chaos, absorbed with its own troubles, at war with itself. And while the government is focused on itself and its internal wars rather than a difficult budget at a difficult time, the people of Australia are suffering.

This is a bad government, a truly bad government. I used to think that it was the worst government since Whitlam, but that is very unfair to Gough Whitlam, who never sold his soul to the Greens and never lost his principles or his ideals. This is a government that has been monumentally incompetent. On borders: remember the Prime Minister just a few years ago, when she was the shadow minister for immigration; she used to put out press releases—'Another boat. Another policy failure'. She did not put them out very often under the former government, but she would have had to have put out three in the last 24 hours under her own government.

Then of course there is the live-cattle fiasco, which put at risk our relationship with Indonesia—perhaps, in some respects, the most important relationship we have—because this was a government that panicked in the face of a television program. There is the National Broadband Network—way over budget, way behind schedule. Until recently, it had more paid staff than it had paying customers. Then of course there is the mining tax. What an extraordinary exercise in ineptitude: the first tax in the history of the Commonwealth that actually does not raise any money. It damages jobs and damages confidence without raising any money.

This is a government that is not just incompetent; it is addicted to waste. There were the school halls, at double the standard price; there were the set-top boxes, at triple the price Harvey Norman would have charged. And, of course, the one thing we will get out of the so-called media reforms this week is yet another new bureaucracy, one of dozens that this government has established. It is incompetent, it is wasteful, it is deceptive.

No Australian will ever forget that phrase that will haunt this government and this Prime Minister to its political grave: 'There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead'. But that is not the only phrase that will haunt this government. On some 160 separate occasions the Prime Minister said, 'No ifs, no buts: it will happen'—the celebrated surplus, the surplus of which the Treasurer said on some 350 separate occasions, 'It will come; come hell or high water—it will come.' Well, they are going through hell, we have had high water and we still do not have a surplus—and we never will under this government.

There is the lack of integrity. The member for Denison can testify to the lack of integrity of this government. The Prime Minister made promises to him; solemn promises in writing—it was almost a legal contract: abandoned, as soon as it suited the Prime Minister's political purposes. You know yourself, Speaker, of the squalid deals that have been done over the speakership—the betrayal of a very fine Speaker of this parliament, the member for Scullin, because it served the political interests of the Prime Minister to do a squalid deal with another member. There is the member for Dobell, for whom the Prime Minister ran a protection racket, day in, day out, week in, week out, month in, month out—until finally it served her political purposes to abandon him. Then of course there was perhaps the ultimate indication of the complete lack of integrity of this government and this Prime Minister: the Australia Day riot, orchestrated from inside her own office.

Then there is the failure of this government to uphold decent Labor values. And I speak as someone who respects the Labor Party as it has traditionally been—the Labor Party that honestly does try to do the right thing by the decent, honest workers of this country; the Labor Party that used to say, in Ben Chifley's resonant phrase, 'We are working towards a light on the hill, working for the betterment of mankind; not just here but wherever we can lend a helping hand.' How those days have gone.

We have had the attack on the former Prime Minister, the member for Griffith—the carpet bombing of the member for Griffith by ministers of the Crown in this government, against the person who until recently had been their own leader. There was the attack on foreign workers, from a party that, at least in recent times, claimed to stand up for people coming to this country from the four corners of the earth and making a home here. Now we have a government that turns a blind eye to people coming to this country illegally by boat, and going on welfare, and for its own political purposes demonises people coming legally to this country and working and contributing from day one—fine potential Australians, demonised by this government.

Then of course we have another extraordinary phrase from the Prime Minister, uttered in this parliament this week: 'Let's hear no sanctimonious nonsense about free speech.' What an extraordinary thing to be said by a Prime Minister of this country.

There is a better way. There are specific plans to give this country a strong and prosperous economy for a safe and secure future. The coalition will abolish the carbon tax, because it is the quickest way to take the pressure off the forgotten families of Australia. We will abolish the mining tax, because it is the quickest way to restore confidence and the investment and jobs that come with confidence. We will fund a tax cut without a carbon tax through dispensing with unnecessary bureaucracies and programs that involve second-guessing other levels of government. We will cut red tape costs by at least $1 billion a year by setting targets for savings and holding public servants accountable for them. We will establish, finally, in an historic move, a fair dinkum paid parental leave scheme that gives the women of this country six months at their real wage to be with their children—that treats paid parental leave as a workplace entitlement, not just a welfare one.

We will stop the boats by restoring the policies that have been proven to work. We will make government more efficient and effective through a once-in-a-decade commission of audit. There will be a level playing field between big and small businesses through a root and branch review of competition policy. We will revitalise Work for the Dole, one of the signature policies of the Howard government. Within 12 months, work will have begun on Melbourne's East West Link and on Sydney's WestConnex. The Midland Highway upgrade and the Brisbane Gateway Motorway extension will be commenced, and before the end of this decade the Pacific Highway will finally be duplicated. It can happen with a good government, a government that is competent and trustworthy.

We will reduce emissions by planting more trees, delivering better soils and using smarter technology. Rather than a carbon tax that just sends jobs overseas, there will be a one-stop shop for environmental approvals. The Australian Building and Construction Commission will be fully restored to improve productivity by $5 billion every year in that troubled industry. There will be the same penalties for union officers and company officials who commit the same offence. There will be, through working with the states and territories, more community controlled public schools and public hospitals. There will be a two-way-street version of the Colombo Plan. Our best will go to Asia, as well as Asia's best coming to this country. There will be no unexpected adverse changes to people's superannuation. There will be no cuts to defence spending, which is now at the lowest level since 1938 as a percentage of GDP. And we will at least maintain spending on medical research.

The people of Australia need to be confident that there is a plan that will bring about change for the better, a plan that will enable their lives to be safer and more secure than they are under the current government. It is a good plan that will be implemented by a good team. Sixteen members of the shadow cabinet were ministers in a good government which delivered two million more jobs, a 20 per cent boost in real pay and a doubling of the real net wealth of every Australian. Instead, what we now have is a divided and directionless Australian Labor Party waiting for the faceless men to make their move. Fifty years ago tomorrow this immortal photograph of Arthur Calwell and the faceless men was taken. They were gathering 50 years ago tomorrow. They were gathering three years ago on Kevin Rudd. Now they are gathering again for the current Prime Minister. The faceless men got rid of the member for Griffith. They are about to get rid of the member for Lalor. Let's get rid of the faceless men and give Australia a good government and a prime minister chosen by the people. I seek leave to table this fabulous photograph. (Time expired)

Leave not granted.

Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs ) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is an MPI which is focused on two things. The first is stable government, and the second is the very important issue of focusing on the needs of all Australians. Let me dispense with the first issue of a stable government. The test of stability in this House is what happens on the floor of this chamber. Despite all the negativity which we saw repeated there again by the Leader of the Opposition, this parliament has passed 482 pieces of legislation through the 43rd parliament, and that includes 33 bills this year. So let us dispense with the issue of stability and focus on the important issue of the needs of all Australians, whether they are from Western Sydney or Western Australia or anywhere in between.

It is important that governments focus on the needs of all Australians, and that is what this government has done. More important than anything else is making sure that we build a strong economy and the jobs that come with a strong economy. On this point the facts speak for themselves. This is a government that has now created almost one million jobs. It is a government that has now been in office for a bit over five years, seeing low unemployment, low inflation and low interest rates. The cash rate is now three per cent and has not been lower in half a century. It was three per cent in 1961 and in April 2009. That makes a difference. It makes a difference in my electorate, and it makes a difference right across the country. It means that if somebody has a mortgage of $300,000 they are now paying $5,000 a year less in repayments than they were under the former government. That is what we have done.

Compare that with what is happening overseas: 8.4 million jobs have been lost in the United States, and Europe has reached the point where 23 million people are unemployed. And in Australia we have had a million jobs created. Since we came to government, the Japanese economy has shrunk by around 1½ per cent, the European economy has contracted by almost two per cent, the US economy has grown by just under 2¼ per cent and the Australian economy has grown by 13 per cent. That is why, when the rest of the world is in turmoil, Australia has for the first time in our history a AAA credit rating from all three global ratings agencies. If the focus of this debate is on making sure that we govern for all Australians and making sure that we have the interests of all Australians at heart, then a strong economy with almost a million jobs created, in spite of everything else that is happening in the world, is evidence of this government's focus and this government's commitment.

Off the back of those results you can do things for the people of Australia. A good example of that are the things that we have done to cut income tax. These are figures that are not well known but they are things that we have done and are worth repeating. Because of the changes we have made to the income tax system, someone earning $50,000 a year now pays 20 per cent less income tax than they did when we came to office. Someone who earns $35,000 a year—and there are a lot of those people in my electorate—now pays 40 per cent less income tax. Someone who earns $20,000 a year now pays no income tax at all. That is because of the changes this government has made. It means lower income tax and, because of the changes we have made, it also means higher superannuation for all Australian workers, but most particularly for young people in the workforce now. A 20-year-old person in the workforce today earning $50,000 a year will have an extra $200,000 when they retire, because of the changes we have made to superannuation, boosting superannuation from nine per cent of your income to 12 per cent. It makes a difference for all Australian workers. That is what we are doing in building a strong economy and creating Australian jobs.

We are also focused on making sure we have a better health system. This year we will spend more than $74 billion on health and ageing, compared with the former government's $48 billion. All up, we have delivered over $65 billion in new health spending since we were elected. A good example of what we are doing next is the dental reform package. From next year this will mean children will have access to government subsidised dental care just as they now have eligibility to funded visits from their GP. It means that in an electorate like mine, Blaxland, 30,000 kids and 16,000 families will get access to this for the first time. Right across Australia three million children will have access to subsidised dental care, just like they get access to Medicare now. These are the sorts of things we are doing as a government that will make a difference for the children of this country. We are also establishing the National Disability Insurance Scheme. In time, this will mean that all Australians can rest assured in the unlikely but terrible event that they find themselves facing the difficulties that come with a severe accident and a disability.

We are also focused on making sure that all Australians get access to a great education. This year we will invest more than $13 billion in our schools. The Howard government they spent $8 billion on education. That is why we built and upgraded school facilities right across the country. We built 3,000 libraries, while the former government built 3,000 flag poles. That is why we have delivered 967,000 computers, one for every student from years 9 to 12. The next stage of this is our response to the Gonski report, the most comprehensive report in almost 40 years into the way schools are funded. Gonski found that we need to spend more in our schools, particularly our public schools. In response to that the government will implement the National Plan for School Improvement, which will mean a new way of funding every school, extra specialist teachers in areas such as literacy and numeracy, extra help for schools to improve their results, greater support for students with higher needs, such as those with disabilities and students from low SES backgrounds, and higher standards and extra training for teachers.

If you want another example of this government's focus and commitment to all Australians, There is probably no better example than the NBN. This means that all Australian homes, schools and businesses will get access to faster and more reliable broadband. It is something that should have been done a long time ago but was neglected under the former government. We are doing it because we are focused on the needs of all Australians.

We are building a stronger economy, creating more Australian jobs, building a stronger health system, building a better education system, and providing big infrastructure projects such as the NBN. That is the approach this government is taking.

Compare that with what the Liberal Party did when they were in government, where they did not govern for all Australians. There is no better example of that than in my neck of the woods in Western Sydney, and there is no better example than in my electorate of Blaxland. When the former government was elected, in 1996, when John Howard became Prime Minister, this is what happened in my electorate. First, they ripped 640 jobs out of the Australian Tax Office by closing down the tax office in Bankstown. Second, they shut the immigration office, which led to the loss of another 90 jobs. They then closed the Australian Hearing service. The neglect was so severe and so obvious that former Prime Minister John Howard did not even visit my electorate, Blaxland, for over 11 years. That shows you just how focused they were on Western Sydney. It is not as if this is an electorate that does not need help.

Under John Howard, my electorate was the mortgage stress capital of Australia. In 2007, after 10 interest rate rises in a row, one family was having their home repossessed every three days. One family was kicked out, locked out and had their keys taken from them every three days. On top of that, they had Work Choices rammed down their throat. And remember what the Prime Minister of the day was saying while all of this was happening: they had never been better off. Ten interest rate rises in a row, houses taken off people left, right and centre, Work Choices cutting incomes, but you have never been better off.

What does the current Leader of the Opposition think about this? What does he think about what was happening in my electorate back then? I remember the debates in this parliament when I was a backbencher, in 2008. We were talking about this. The Leader of the Opposition said that the Howard years were the golden age of compassion. If he thinks that is compassion you can just imagine what he has in store for us if he wins the next election.

This behaviour, what happened to my electorate under the Howard government, is not unusual. We are seeing the same thing happening now in the form of another Liberal government, the state Liberal government in New South Wales. This is what they are doing right now in my electorate and right across New South Wales. They are cutting the guts out of education in Western Sydney and elsewhere. They are cutting the guts out of health services. And just to show—as if it is needed—just how much they really care about Western Sydney, they are moving a toxic waste dump from Hunters Hill to Kemps Creek. That shows you what the Liberal Party is all about. Western Sydney is not their new heartland; it is their new dumping ground. This is where they want to put toxic waste.

If they really cared about Western Sydney the New South Wales Liberal government would not be cutting $1.7 billion out of education. Education is what changes lives, and it changes lives in a place like Western Sydney. It changed my life. I am the first person in my family to finish school and the first person in my family to go to university. It was public education that gave me that opportunity. We should be investing more in education, not less. As Paul Keating said, education is the key to the kingdom. It matters everywhere. It matters more in a place like Western Sydney than almost anywhere else in the country. Most of the jobs that are going to be created in the next few decades are going to require people to finish school and go on and get TAFE and university qualifications, so we need to boost retention rates and encourage more students to go on to TAFE and to university. Where retention rates are low—like the are in Western Sydney—people are put at an instant disadvantage. This is a challenge in my electorate. It is one that we need to overcome; otherwise, we will just entrench disadvantage.

For years, schools in Western Sydney were underfunded and not properly resourced. This side of the parliament is determined to fix this. The other side of parliament says that the existing funding system is good enough. That of itself should be enough to tell you that the Leader of the Opposition is not focused on the needs of all Australians and does not get Western Sydney. We are hardworking people; we are self-made people. The education system has given us our chance in life. Anyone from Western Sydney understands how important it is to success, how underfunded it has been and how important it is to fix it. The fact that the Liberal Party, led by this Leader of the Opposition, does not understand this tells you everything that you need to know.

Western Sydney is also an expensive place to live. Housing costs are high; average incomes are low. That means that people struggle to make ends meet. It means that things like the Schoolkids Bonus, which means that a family with two kids over the lifetime of their children at school will get an extra $15,000, matter. That $15,000 matters. The opposition say that if they are elected at the next election they will take that $15,000 off Australian families. It means that the increases in the pension matter. It means that the increases in the family payments that we have made really matter.

It means that the changes that we have made to the tax-free threshold really matter. That has now been boosted to $18,000. It means that individuals earning up to $80,000 will see their taxes increase if the Liberal Party is elected, most by $300 a year. That is a lot of money. In total, almost half a million people in Western Sydney will be affected by this. Half a million people in Western Sydney will have their taxes increased, in most cases by up to $300, if the Liberal Party is elected. This tells you everything that you need to know.

The Liberal Party in government cuts jobs, cuts support for families, cuts education and cuts health. They are doing that in government in New South Wales now and promising to do it if they win the next election. That is very different to what this government is doing. We are keeping the economy strong, creating almost a million jobs, investing in health, investing in education, boosting the pension, establishing a National Disability Insurance Scheme, rolling out the NBN and increasing the superannuation of all Australians. That is more than stability; that is a proud record of achievement, a record achieved because of the work of this Prime Minister and this government—and all in spite of the relentless negativity of those opposite.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'Chaos' is the perfect word to describe the Gillard government and indeed the one before it. The dictionary describes 'chaos' as 'complete disorder and confusion'. But I think that it could be more simply redefined in just a single word: 'Labor'. This is a government in complete chaos and disorder. The Prime Minister is essentially being hired on an hour-to-hour basis while the sharks circle. The bodies of former leaders float around hoping that they will be resuscitated, and there is a whole line-up of new sharks who hope that they will be the next in line at the feeding trough. This behaviour—on again, off again leadership challenges and caucus meetings—is not the behaviour of a government in control that knows what it is doing. That is not the behaviour of a government with vision and direction; it is chaos, and chaos has been the symbol of this government.

Indeed, you do not have to ask us about the performance of the various leading players in this great leadership battle. You just have to ask those who are going to have a vote in the caucus room whenever it happens. The member for Corangamite said: 'Julia Gillard cannot take us to an election. She'll decimate the party if she does.' One of the alternative leadership candidates said, 'Julia has lost the trust of the Australian people.' That was said by the member for Griffith. One of the other leadership contenders, the minister for the arts, speaking about a fellow contender, Kevin Rudd, said, 'He can't be Prime Minister again, so the question for him is that he has to accept that.' The member for Bendigo tweeted, 'Only a psychopath with a giant ego would line up again after being comprehensively rejected by the overwhelming majority of his colleagues.'

Moving on to the minister for communications, a man who has presided over more chaos and mismanagement than most of his colleagues: his comment about the member for Griffith as a contender was, 'Kevin Rudd had contempt for the cabinet, contempt for the cabinet members, contempt for the caucus, contempt for the parliament.' What sort of leadership credentials does that man have? What about the minister for health, who had enough and decided that she would give it away altogether? She said: 'I think that we need to get out of this idea that Kevin is a messiah who will deliver an election back to us. That is just, I think, fanciful.'

This is the nature of the campaign. This is the attitude of the people who are supposed to be working together to deliver an agenda and a vision for the future for this country that brings prosperity. Australians expect their government to have a plan and to be capable of implementing that plan and ensuring that the plan serves the nation's interest. Is it any wonder that they look at Labor and this government and simply weep?

True to the drama of the self-inflicted chaos that we have come to expect, the Prime Minister has galvanised attention on this year's election some eight months out. And what has she delivered this year? Early in the year, she delivered her 'captain's pick', quashing the right of Labor's grassroots to vote for their own representative in the Northern Territory and parachuting in someone who was not even a member of the party and sacking a veteran of 15 years. Two senior cabinet ministers, both with experience as Attorney-General, pulled the plug. And the member for Fisher and the member for Dobell, upon whose tainted votes the Prime Minister depends, have got into deeper and murkier water. After all of this, when asked at a press conference if these events were a sign of a government in chaos, the Prime Minister herself asked, 'Why on earth would anyone say that?'

The member for Maribyrnong, another one of the contenders for the leadership at the present time, is the one who after being contradicted by the Prime Minister overseas on a policy matter told the media that he did not actually know what the policy was but that he supported it. He had something further to say on 5 February. When commenting on the Prime Minister announcing the election date, he told Sky News, 'The only thing unusual about that is that she has levelled with the Australian people instead of playing political games.' That would be unusual, indeed—to have this Prime Minister levelling with the people and keeping her promise. Anyone who thinks that the date of 14 September is set in stone should think about the nature of the person who made this commitment.

What else has happened this year? We have had the confirmation that the mining supertax has been a complete flop, raising just $126 million of a promised $2 billion in revenue. But in true Labor tradition it is actually worse than that. If you deduct the administration costs and the company tax offsets, the mining tax actually raised about $40 million. This was the tax that was going to share the proceeds of the boom. The tax has actually made sure we have much less of a boom than we otherwise would have, but it is not collecting the money that Labor promised it would to help the poor and deliver a whole set of new projects. The NDIS and the dental scheme that the previous speaker just spoke about are supposed to be funded by the proceeds of this tax, but it has not got any money. So what is the future for those schemes? You do not have an NDIS unless you have the money to fund it. You do not have a dental scheme unless you have the money to fund it. And this government does not have that money because its mining tax has been such a failure. That even includes the projects that the minister is about to announce for regional development, which are supposed to be funded out of the proceeds of the tax. There is no money there. Anybody who gets an announcement from the minister about having a regional development project in their electorate needs to remember that there is no money there to fund it. This has been so typical of this government's performance.

Now we have their bid to muzzle frank and fearless media coverage. Minister Conroy seems to think that the media should simply act as a proxy for his agenda without any critical assessment. I know that Labor might be used to a pretty compliant media, but in reality the facts are that any attempt to meddle with free speech and freedom of expression will create problems worse than the disease they are trying to cure.

This is a government that is acting irrationally. It is a mess. It has been from the very beginning. The current Prime Minister promised to fix three major policy failures of the Rudd era when she knifed the former Prime Minister in 2010. Those three agenda items that she set for herself were to fix the mining tax, fix asylum seekers and fix climate change. All three are now bigger problems than when she started. We have a carbon tax even though she promised we would not have such a tax. It is hurting families and businesses every day, but it is doing nothing for the environment. We have the mining tax that discourages investment and jobs in Australia but raises no revenue. There are 34,000 more asylum seekers since Labor abandoned control of our borders and no end in sight to the human trafficking. In fact, we have had three boat arrivals in the last 24 hours, as we heard during question time today. As was said earlier in the day, it is high time that Labor stopped counting the votes and started stopping the boats. Only the coalition has a proven plan to stop the boats and scrap the carbon and mining taxes to restore confidence and deliver certainty, investment and jobs, especially in regional Australia.

The Prime Minister wanted to reconnect with the heartland, so she visited Western Sydney. That was her Burke and Wills experience. She headed out into the barren centre of our continent and went as far as Western Sydney! There is probably a dig tree out there somewhere or other with all the relics of the visit. The reality is that during her entire time as Prime Minister she has never chosen to spend a week in regional Australia. She has never bothered to visit provincial cities and regional communities. She went on a big excursion all the way to Western Sydney—and even that proved to be something of a dud.

The people deserve a stable and responsible government that puts the national interest first, that does not pursue backroom deals just so that the Prime Minister of the day can hang on to power. People want a government that will focus on the issues that affect their daily lives. Sometime soon, perhaps on 14 September, they will get the chance to deliver one.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is a great story to be told here about our economy and about jobs because, since we were elected to government in 2007, there have been an additional 920,000 jobs created. That is good news. It is good news for every single one of those people who now have a job. That is the meal ticket. That is the ticket to being able to afford to put your kids through school, buy a home and have a lifestyle. People talk about the cost of living. Yes, we acknowledge that. We have done a whole range of things to reduce the pressures of the costs of living. But the best way to reduce cost-of-living pressures is to have a job. That is one of the things that this government has been very much focused on.

We have maintained a strong economy in very difficult times, going through a global financial crisis that the world has not seen the like of for more than 75 years, even if you could compare it to that time. The depth of the crisis was such that the globe still suffers from the hangover of the GFC. You do not have to look too far. Just look across the water at what is happening to economies in Cyprus and Europe this week. Their unemployment rates are in the 20s, unlike in Australia, where they are in the five-per-cent area. Look at what is happening to their banks, with the collapse of their financial systems, where people dream not of having a mortgage but of the bank not taking their houses off them.

Those things did not happen to us in Australia and they are not going to happen to us in Australia, because it was this Labor government that took the very, very difficult decisions when the global financial crisis happened that we would not allow this to happen in Australia, we would bulletproof this economy and we would shoulder the difficult burden that a government should shoulder, rather than let individuals shoulder the pain that was foisted on the people of Greece, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus and Europe, whose governments did not take action. Those governments said it was just easier to let the people bear the burden. Not in Australia. In Australia, we decided we would take on that burden. We would shoulder the difficult times as a government representing the people of Australia in the national interest for this economy and this people. We made sure people would still have their houses and their jobs and that we would still have a dental scheme and a health system that works better than anywhere else in the world. A Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that is the envy of everywhere in the world—that is what this government took on.

When we talk about bulletproofing the economy, what does that mean? That means we bought a bulletproof jacket—and it cost us a fair bit of money. Some say it is a little; some say it is a little more. But we paid for that bulletproof jacket so we would shoulder the burden rather than individuals shoulder it—ordinary people working to pay off their mortgages and send their kids to school. We thought it was better that we did it, and we do not regret that for a minute. I certainly do not, because I can hold my head up high. I can go out into my community and talk to all the people who did not lose their homes or see the end of their superannuation and retirement savings. Of course they copped a hit, but guess what? They are recovering and they are coming back. That is what governments do in difficult times. When the dip comes and the recessions come and people have to shoulder that burden, a government helps people and makes sure that the economy remains strong. That is exactly what we did.

Let me give you an example. In Japan, the economy shrank by 1½ per cent. That is an enormous number. That means people go without. That means they are seriously having problems in their economy and people will lose their jobs. In the euro economy zone, the economy shrank by two per cent, an even bigger number. The US economy grew by just above 2¼ per cent. And, even with 2¼ per cent growth, look at what has happened in the United States and what their economy looks like. Over there they have this little term: 'jingle mail'. In the US they have non-recourse mortgage loans, which means, if you cannot afford to pay your mortgage, you simply put your keys into an envelope, send them back to the bank and it is their problem—you walk away with no debt to be repaid. That is jingle mail. We do not do that in Australia. Here we actually pay our debts off, whether it is personal debt, government debt or any other debt, because we meet our responsibilities. That is what this government does and this economy does.

But guess what has happened to Australia's economy since we came to government and since the GFC? This economy grew by 13 per cent. Nine hundred and twenty thousand jobs have been created in this economy, we have had 13 per cent growth and interest rates have fallen from when John Howard left government, when they were 6.75 per cent, to just three per cent today. If you want to talk about cost-of-living pressures and what we are doing to reduce them, let me tell you what that represents for the average family and the average mortgage. If you have an average mortgage of $300,000, that means you are now paying $5,000 a year less. That is $5,000 a year that you can use to pay more off your house, put into savings, take a holiday, put the kids through school or do something extra with. Mortgage holders are $5,000 better off just from that alone.

What are the things that governments can do? We hear the rhetoric and garbage from the other side. That is their only course of action in their proven track record. And have a look at the states. Look at my state of Queensland and what an incoming Liberal government will do. It will slash and burn. What did the Howard government do when it first got elected? It ripped $1 billion straight out of health. Hundreds of millions of dollars was ripped out of education. Who pays the price? Not the government; the government says, 'Look at us; we've got spare money left over. We're sitting on pots of gold and cash.' But where did that cash come from? It came from our schools, our hospitals and our nurses who no longer have a job. That is exactly what they will foist back on this economy if they get re-elected to government.

When we got to government, we kept our commitment on tax cuts. The opposition talk about how they are going to pay for the NDIS and how they are going to pay for dental schemes and investment in infrastructure. Let me tell you one of the things we did: we made an enormous commitment to everybody in this country through infrastructure spending. Ours was the highest-spending government on infrastructure that this country and this economy have ever seen. Spending was many times greater than the great Snowy Mountains scheme. They are the sorts of things that governments do because they create jobs. They create strength in an economy and resilience that, no matter what else happens in the world, we do not need an austerity package in Australia. We do not need to be doing the sorts of things they are doing in Europe, because we have maintained the economy and we have done—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks to Peter Costello.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now they want to take the credit. Now they are actually agreeing with me.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks to Peter Costello.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not care who you thank for how good we are doing now, but, if you want to shoulder the responsibility and claim the good position we are in, stand up and have the guts to admit it and say, 'Yes, this is great.' That is not an invitation to interrupt me, if you want to be that rude.

Mr Dutton interjecting—

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker—

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I said it is not an invitation, because you have had more than your go. When you get to be in the position—hopefully never—where you will cut jobs and slash away government programs, one of the first places—

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The parliamentary secretary!

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker?

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The parliamentary secretary will direct his comments through the chair, not across the chamber. The use of the word 'you' is unparliamentary.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. We have done a whole range of things, particularly when it comes to cost-of-living issues. We have created things like the schoolkids bonus, which delivers real money—cash into people's pockets for their kids and their kids' education. It is $410 a year for a primary-school child and $820 a year for a secondary-school child.

Today is a pretty special day because we have again increased, on an indexation basis, pensions for every pensioner in this country, and it is a substantial amount. Since we have come to government, we have made a determined effort to lift people on pensions out of poverty, because that is where they were when the Howard government left office. They were in poverty. There was no question about it; there was just never any guts shown by the previous government to make the commitment to lift pensioners out of poverty. I might agree with pensioners today that the pension is still not quite enough, but let me tell you: they are a long way better off than when Howard left government. But that is what will be revisited, and the coalition cannot wait to get there. They are biting at the bit to be able to cut pensions, the schoolkids bonus, public mental health programs and all the education and skills programs that we have got.

On aged care, we have a commitment of $3.7 billion so that people can age with dignity in their own homes. On infrastructure, we have committed $36 billion to projects right across the country. On disability, we have put $1 billion down on the table. Let us start the process of the NDIS. We have put $1 billion on the table. You are going to cut $1 billion out. On superannuation—that great Australian story of super—the superannuation guarantee rate is moving from nine to 12 per cent. In the good years, when the coalition reckoned they had plenty of money and were sitting on cash, did they ever do it? No. So what is your excuse? Explain yourself to the Australian people. Why didn't you have the guts to do it when you were in government, when there were the rivers of gold flowing in and you had more cash than you knew what to do with? Why didn't you develop an NDIS then, or didn't you have any ideas? You had no ideas and no ability to actually do something for the Australian economy. You talk about all the things we have done. Let me tell you: I am pretty proud of what we have done for pensioners and ordinary working Australians, what we have done for people's mortgages, what we have done for employment, skills, training and education, and we will fight on our track record. (Time expired)

Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this matter of public importance today because I believe the people of Macarthur are in urgent need of a stable government—a stable, competent and secure government that will restore confidence to families, pensioners, small business owners and manufacturers in my electorate and across this country; a stable government that they can be proud of, not one that they are embarrassed by; a stable government that will focus on sensible economic management, with a strong plan to pay back the debt and return to balanced budgets.

The people of Macarthur have had enough, and they have good reason to be disillusioned with this Labor government. Just look at the long list of incompetent policies that it has blundered in its short time in office. We have had the border protection fiasco. Last week alone, eight boats arrived, carrying 564 people, and there have been more than 2,000 illegal arrivals this year alone. And what about the East Timor processing centre or the Malaysian asylum seeker swap—five for one—which the High Court declared was illegal? There was the BER school halls debacle, the citizens' assembly, the cash-for-clunkers scheme and the carbon tax promise—that there would be no carbon tax under a government led by our Prime Minister.

The carbon tax has been met with great contempt by the people of my electorate. The increased costs for small businesses and the rise in electricity bills for local residents mean they are struggling to make ends meet. Last winter I shook the freezing cold hands of pensioners in their homes who were too scared to turn on their heaters in fear of their rising electricity bills. That is an absolute fact. One lady told me she has cut back to eating one meal a day because she is fearful of the rising costs of her electricity bills as a result of this tax. Fear, insecurity, instability—all caused by this reckless government. The carbon tax is just another example of an unstable government which relies so heavily on the Greens to hold on to government. What is even harder to swallow is that the people in my electorate are suffering under a scheme that does not even reduce emissions.

But it does not stop there. What about the government linking Australian carbon trading to Europe, just as the European scheme started to collapse, or the fact that we have a mining tax that raises no revenue? And what about the Prime Minister breaking her promise with Andrew Wilkie, the member for Denison, about pokie reform, or the ban on live cattle exports and the attacks on skilled migrant workers, resurrecting Pauline Hanson? But why stop there? We have seen the raids on inactive savings accounts and superannuation, and the digital set-top boxes sold at three times the price of Harvey Norman. The list goes on. What about Labor's solution to Europe's debt crisis? All they did was lecture Europe to take on more debt—great policy! And, for those of us keeping count, so far there have been over 500 promises to bring the budget to surplus come hell or high water.

We have seen this government demonise single mothers, and so many in my electorate are feeling the brunt of this failed policy. One of these single mums is Deanne Saros from Currans Hill. Poor Deanne—she lost $350 a fortnight after the government decided to stop her single-parent payments once her son turned eight. Ms Saros has a son with various health problems and must attend several medical appointments with him through the week—stopping her from taking on full-time work. She works part time to support her son and told the Camden Advertiser that she has to rely on her elderly parents to help pay the rent after the government cut her payments without warning last year. Sadly, this mum, like many others in my electorate, fell through the cracks of this policy because she is not unemployed but she does not have enough work to be able to support herself without the government payment. She is a single mum disadvantaged by a poor policy that the Labor government should revisit.

With so many bungled policies, it is no wonder the government is fed up with the Australian media trying to keep it honest. The government's attempt to rush its proposed media reforms through the parliament this week is outrageous and just shows the extent this government will go to protect itself. Labor's mad rush on media laws is no different from its mad rush on school halls and pink batts.

The Australian people are also fed up with this government's pro-union bias, which does nothing but undermine our economy. It is about time this government stopped acting in the interest of union bosses and started focusing on the national interest. The people of Macarthur lost all faith in this government a long time ago. I am sure my colleagues would have received the same feedback from locals in their electorates across the country. I have been out on the ground speaking to the people of Macarthur, and they have simply had enough. And can you blame them? Lies, rumours, backstabbing, poor policy, leadership speculation and the inability to manage the budget and keep this country out of billions of dollars of debt—no wonder the people of Australia are sick and tired of this government and the circus it has become.

On top of all these bad policies and failures, Labor continues to obsess about leadership, because the Prime Minister continues to show bad judgement. The people of Macarthur and the people of Australia want stability. They deserve better. They want to see good policy from their government and a strong economy. This comes from good governance. If this government were a local council, it would have been sacked by now and administrators appointed. The people of this country are not stupid. They know that this government's problem is not whether it is Julia Gillard or Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister; the problem is that we have a divided and dysfunctional government that will never change as long as we have both of them in this parliament.

The message I am hearing in Macarthur is very clear. Families and small businesses are desperate for a new government that they can have confidence in. Families are struggling with the rising cost of living, and businesses are shutting-up shop under the uncertainty of this Labor government. It is impossible to expand your business when you are so unsure of what outlandish policies and red tape the government will rush through this parliament next. What is next for the people of Australia? The cost of living and the amount of debt this country is in have been two of the most frequent issues raised with me by the people of Macarthur.

Labor's interest payments are now at almost $20 million a day. Imagine how many programs and policies could be supported across Australia with this money. I can name hundreds of community projects, organisations and charities in my electorate that would benefit from extra funding: Society 389, Lifeline, the Right Start Foundation, KU Starting Points—Macarthur, St Vincent de Paul, Macarthur Temporary Family Care, Northcott disability services, NOVA Employment, Macarthur Disability Services, Macarthur Diversity Services, Beautiful Minds, Cystic Fibrosis Macarthur, the Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation, or our local sports teams and schools. So many organisations in my electorate are desperate for funding to support those less fortunate, but so much has been wasted by this Labor-Greens government. This government's waste and mismanagement has been a disgrace, and the people of Macarthur and the people of Australia deserve better.

What we have in this country is an urgent need for stable government, focused on the needs of all Australians. I stand here today as a proud member of the coalition, because I know that a stable and secure coalition government will help the people of Macarthur. The first thing we will do is get rid of the carbon tax. We will reduce regulation by a billion dollars, and cut back on government waste and mismanagement. We will introduce new economic policies that will ensure a stable and well-run economy.

A stable government would give businesses in Macarthur the certainty they need to prosper, and, after years of instability and uncertainty under this Labor government, they will finally have the confidence they need to grow and invest in my community. More than 70 per cent of the workers in my electorate commute out of Macarthur to work every day. I would love to see local businesses in my electorate grow so that they can employ more local people, so that the people of Macarthur can live and work closer to home and spend more time with their families.

The people of Australia want an election because they have had enough of the division, dysfunction and instability of this Labor government. It is time for a coalition government that offers the people of Macarthur and the people of Australia hope, stability and security. The people of this country deserve a government that they can be proud of—one that gives people a hand up instead of a handout, understands the importance of small business and wants to see it prosper, supports families and pensioners and will build a strong economy so that our children and their children will not be paying off this debt for many years to come. A coalition government will do that.

We have real solutions for all Australians. A coalition government will build a stronger, more productive and diverse economy with lower taxes. We will get the budget back under control, cut waste and start reducing debt. We will help families get ahead by freeing them from the burdens of the carbon tax. We will help small businesses grow and create more jobs. We will create stronger jobs growth by building a diverse, world-class, five-pillar economy. We will generate one million new jobs over the next five years. We will build more modern infrastructure to get things moving. We will deliver better services including health services. We will deliver better education. We will take action to reduce carbon emissions inside Australia, not overseas. We will deliver stronger borders. We will deliver strong and stable government that restores accountability. This is the coalition's plan and we will stick to it.

Our plan has real solutions for all Australians, including the people of Macarthur. I hope that, for the sake of my children and future grandchildren, we will never see a government that is as incompetent and unstable as the one we have now. The people of Australia and the people of Macarthur simply cannot afford it, and they deserve better. Here it is, in my hand—our plan: real solutions for all Australians, with the directions, values and policy priorities of the next coalition government. This plan will bring to the people of Macarthur and the people of Australia hope, reward and opportunity for all.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I found that quite an amusing contribution to the debate. As to the reference to the plan that was held up by the previous speaker, it is a pity there is no meat on it. It is just a collection of motherhood statements that tells us nothing about how they are going to be delivered. And there was nothing in that contribution that told us how the opposition plans to address its $70 billion black hole that already exists. I must say that I have never heard so much irrelevant, obscure information presented by any speaker in this parliament.

I also need to add that, under the Howard government, families and pensioners were so disadvantaged. That government never sought to be inclusive. It never sought to address the needs that families and pensioners had, unlike the government that we have here today. It is really pleasing to see that I have the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Minister for Disability Reform, Minister Macklin, here in the House, because she has been responsible for seeing massive increases to the amount of money pensioners receive.

Back in 2007 when Labor came to power, a pensioner couple were receiving $808.40. Today, 20 March 2013, they are receiving $1,218.80. This follows the massive increase that was delivered to pensioners back in 2009. Back in 2007 a single pensioner was receiving $537—$537 a fortnight to live on! Today, it is $898 per fortnight. This followed the massive increase in the pension back in 2007.

The opposition never had an appetite to deliver fairness to pensioners when they were sitting on the government benches. How can they possibly argue that they will deliver fairness if they ever manage to get control of the government benches? I just cannot see it.

I have looked and I have seen areas that they are considering cutting, slashing and burning, if they were ever to take government. They are talking about cancelling the first stage of the NDIS and abolishing the FaHCSIA division implementing the NDIS. That is criminal. When they were in power, they absolutely ignored the needs of people with disability. They paid no attention to the fact that we had a big section of our community that was missing out. They did not get the services, they did not get the respect and they did not get jobs that they should have been getting, and it has taken a Labor government to actually deliver to people with disabilities. And, once again, it is a pleasure to have the minister in the chamber, because she has overseen that delivery of the NDIS to people with disability in Australia.

I will look at what else they would do. They would abolish Fair Work Australia and Safe Work Australia. We all know that those on the other side of this chamber are the advocates of Work Choices. Work Choices is a system that would really disadvantage workers in Australia. It is a system that sought to marginalise workers. It would have worked to the detriment of workers' families, including their children. So, I find it absolutely surprising that the Leader of the Opposition would have the hide to come into this chamber and move the MPI that he has moved today. Under the rule of the Howard government and under the stewardship of the Leader of the Opposition when he was minister for health, I can tell you that things were in a very, very sorry state.

Those opposite are talking about cutting the research budget by 40 per cent and cutting all Commonwealth housing programs. I come from an area where people are older and more disadvantaged so I find it an absolute disgrace that those opposite are prepared to totally ignore the needs of people who cannot find or cannot afford housing. Other cuts include cutting off foreign aid, excluding emergency aid; abolishing all agriculture, forestry and fisheries programs; and privatising the ABC. Well, I can tell you that the people that I represent in this House would not like to see that happen.

I think it is important to look at some of the differences between the two parties. Look at health and what has happened since Labor has been in power. We have seen $20 million put into public health, including extra services, 1,300 new sub-acute beds, 450 surgical beds and the new aged care reform package. The new aged care reform package will be delivered to the people that I represent in this parliament. What do the opposition plan to do? They plan to rip $1 billion from our hospitals, and that is the equivalent of 1,025 beds. That is not what the people that I represent want to see.

With respect to aged care, I talked about the $3.7 billion plan that has been introduced into the parliament. Those opposite had a history, when they were in government, of failing to deliver or to maintain the aged-care system. They let it be eroded. They allowed people that I represent to languish on waiting lists for beds in residential care. And the beds that they created in residential care were phantom beds; they only existed on paper. It is horrific to think of what would happen if the opposition ever managed to gain government.

We will have trained 5,500 new doctors by 2020, including doubling the number of GP training places to 1,200 a year by 2014. What did the opposition do? They capped GP training places so that an enormous shortage occurred. That is not good enough. I know that in the Shortland electorate, at the height of the Howard government, bulk billing rates were under 60 per cent. And now we have, nation wide, bulk billing rates in excess of 82 per cent. Whilst I am talking about the government's plans for health, let me say that the government has delivered; the opposition plans to rip $1.2 billion out of primary care. That will mean fewer doctors, fewer health workers, fewer nurses, fewer physiotherapists, fewer psychologists and podiatrists and speech therapists. I cringe when I think about what an Abbott government would mean to health in Australia.

Coupled with the massive increases in jobs that have occurred under Labor and the investment in schools is the schoolkids bonus that has been so popular in my electorate. That is something that those on the other side of this House intend to get rid of. Tell me how the plans of those on the other side of this House are inclusive. Tell me how that is a plan for all Australians. To me it is a plan for a very small group of people. It is a plan that is going to deliver to the people that those opposite feel are deserving of their assistance.

On this side of the House we deliver to businesses, to families and to pensioners, and we are committed, as always, to ensuring that every Australian gets the assistance from government and the kind of government that they deserve, not a government that is tinged with ideological bent, as an Abbott government would be.

Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today in this debate on this MPI, to ensure that the people of Macquarie have their voices heard. The Australian people and the people of Macquarie deserve a stable government—a government that will deliver and bring real solutions to the issues that everyday Australians grapple with on a daily basis.

Delivering real solutions is about providing hope. It is about instilling a sense of opportunity—a sense that it is worth while investing in their future. Delivering real solutions is about taking action. It is about not shying away from the tough decisions. This is what a coalition government can and will offer.

The Australian people have clearly lost faith in this government. At the heart of this growing discontent lies very deep and very real concern that this government is pursuing a course of extraordinary political and economic mismanagement that will burden our nation and people for decades and generations to come. The Prime Minister promised the Australian people that she would keep this country 'moving forward'. Instead, what we have witnessed is a chaotic, divided and dysfunctional government which has failed to provide a plan for this nation—a platform for families, individuals and businesses to build on. What we have witnessed is a failure to deliver what was promised—backflips on important decisions and policy on the run.

During the last week of parliament leading up to the budget and at a time of deep economic uncertainty, Labor is navel-gazing, focusing on itself. The people of Macquarie tell me where they think the government's focus ought to be. It ought to be on its people; it ought to be focused on the financial future, on the budget, on managing the economy and on helping Australians to get ahead. Labor is so distracted by division and dysfunction that it is failing to do its job: govern. Survival is its daily struggle. Whether we are talking about potential, current or past leaders of the current Labor government, they have all failed the Australian people. The Australian attitude of hope and optimism has been eroded by an unstable and reactive leader and her team.

In my electorate of Macquarie there is a clear loss of confidence in the economic future, the social future and the leadership of our nation. Every day that I am out in the electorate listening to small-business owners, families, pensioners or self-funded retirees, they talk about the impact that an unstable government and a mismanaged economy is having on them. I recently spoke to Sam, the owner of the IGA at South Windsor. Sam's gas and electricity bills have gone through the roof since the introduction of the carbon tax. Sam now pays $6,000 per month for electricity, up from $4,500 per month prior to the carbon tax, and he is not sure at this stage if he can sustain it. He has seen a drop in customers since October 2012—a setback he attributes to people paying more for their own bills and not having as much money to put aside for anything but the basics. This is an IGA store owner, where people buy their food, their groceries and their daily basic needs, and he says people have changed their buying habits. Sam fears that in this economic climate things may worsen. He just does not know what will come next. Sam is after some restored confidence and assurance that small business will not be hit with another financial burden: more taxes.

I also met with another business owner, Sam Torcasio, co-owner of Blaxland Country Market. Mr Torcasio has also seen a recent downturn in the spending habits of people in the Blue Mountains. On top of this, his utility costs are increasing. These two factors make trading hard and contribute to an increasing fear—not just his fear but also that of his consumers—about the future of his business. Everywhere that I visit, there is a decline in the great Australian traditions of enterprise and innovation. Businesses are fearful of hiring and they decide not to expand or seek growth opportunities, fuelled by a real fear that it cannot be sustained. They are concerned that they will be hit with further taxes.

I have also recently been contacted by constituents in the electorate of Macquarie who are planning for retirement. The government's changes to superannuation legislation have them deeply concerned. They are hesitant to make plans in case the goalposts change once again. Australians who are trying to do the right thing by saving for retirement and investing for their future in order to be independent of government assistance are being punished by this government. There is simply no certainty for their future. There is the instability of the government—who is leading and who may be leading tomorrow. The infighting and leadership speculation further add to the deep sense of mistrust in the community.

After a lifetime of hard work, older Australians are entitled to a safe and secure retirement. This is what the coalition will give older Australians. We will ensure that no more negative, unexpected changes occur to the superannuation system, so that those planning for their retirements can face the future with a higher degree of predictability. This is just one more example of where we will restore confidence and give back hope and opportunity.

The government's responsibility is to provide the framework within which individuals, families, businesses and local communities can plan for their future with confidence. The local implications of the current government's fiscal incompetence and instability are having devastating impacts upon the futures and opportunities of our young people. The lack of employment opportunities in my electorate has arisen as an issue of real concern over the last few years. As resources are drained away from the region and businesses struggle, this has had a direct impact on the ability of young people to find jobs.

Many young people who find themselves unemployed do not claim any benefits and they do not appear in unemployment figures. Instead, they rely on the support provided by other sources of income in their households: their brothers, their sisters and their parents. I have been approached by so many parents of bright young people who cannot even get a job interview—young people who apply for 50 or even 100 jobs. Young people deserve opportunities. Young adults are our future and they deserve a chance to learn and grow, but these opportunities are diminished because of a lack of vision and action by the government.

The coalition and I believe in Australia and believe that all Australians deserve a brighter and more optimistic future. That is why we have a plan to build a stronger and more prosperous nation, so that all Australians can get ahead in the global economy, live in a better country and flourish in their individual endeavours.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hear the members opposite. They are prepared to criticise. I wonder, from the way they are acting, if they think they are already in opposition.

Tony Abbott has said that there is no limit to what Australia can achieve. The coalition's plan is to create stronger jobs growth by building a diverse, world-class, five-pillar economy. We will help families get ahead by freeing them from the burdens of the carbon tax. We will help small businesses grow and create more jobs, deliver higher wages and better services for Australians. The coalition will deliver strong and stable government that restores accountability. We have a track record. We have done it before.

The greatest asset of any community organisation or nation is its people—people with aspirations, with plans, with hopes, with ideas, with dreams. Many are placing these ideas and dreams and aspirations on hold, storing them for another day, hoping to one day again have a leadership they can have confidence and trust in. The time has come for the instability to end and for a government to lead with a clear and strong vision to build this great nation. A coalition government can and will do this.

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very happy to join in the debate on the Leader of the Opposition's MPI. The wording took me a little by surprise. 'The urgent need for a stable government to focus on the needs of all Australians'—how big, how lofty is that? They do have a track record over there. I know they want to be small 'l' liberals when it suits them, but they do have a track record. This debate is an opportunity to review a little bit of their track record.

The former coalition administration under John Howard had 12 years. Go to any economist and they will tell you that, over that 12-year period, the coalition seriously underspent on infrastructure. Instead of laying down the infrastructure we so desperately need to increase our productivity, over that period of time they did not invest in road, they did not invest in rail and they certainly did not invest in high-speed technologies such as the internet or the NBN. All those things were just futuristic to them. They thought that, if they put a bit of money in the piggy bank, that would satisfy the economy. They did not invest in the productive mechanisms which are so necessary for this country.

You only have to look at some of the other things they did—how they set about to save money. One of the things they did was slash $1 billion out of health. That is a matter of record. When they come in here and lecture us on health reform, they should remember that they have a record. They took money out of the system, as they did with education.

Those people in the gallery, particularly those with kids, know that the two biggest things in public policy which affect them and their families are health and education. The last Howard government, over their 12 years in office, slashed both of those areas of public expenditure. They decided to take money out of those areas—that is how they set about ensuring there was a surplus. How artificial was that? You take away investment in the productive mechanisms of growth, such as infrastructure; you take money out of education, which is so vital for equipping young people with the tools they need for the modern world; and you attack health.

So they do come to this debate with a track record, and I am happy to engage with them about that. The thing everyone remembers about the Howard government is something they did which they did not say anything about when they went to the 2004 election. Once they got in and had control of both houses of parliament, they brought in Work Choices. They decided they would take it out on working families. This was not the captains of industry they were impacting; this was people on award wages.

By introducing Work Choices after the election in 2004, they made it possible for the first time in this country's history for people to be paid less than award wages. In those days, I knew people who worked in small fabric shops and people who worked in foundries—people who were on award based wages. They were taking home less pay, getting less shift work—because that got cut as well—and their overtime was under threat. Those people were told that if they did not sign the contract they would not have a job. That is the opposition's track record. When they got challenged, these captains of industry who used these elements of Work Choices, their reasoning—and perhaps you should not blame them for it, although I do—was: 'Work Choices just made it legal, so we are acting legally. If we can pay people less, if it is legal to do that, we will.' They were very matter of fact about it. And they did pay people less. That is why people voted in droves against the last government. They saw what that government was doing to working Australians.

We have a $1.5 trillion economy. This economy is the envy of the modern world. Not only did we withstand the global financial crisis but we propelled ourselves through it. We have grown since then. Since the GFC, this economy has grown by 13 per cent. Compare that with the United States, which is still slowly coming out of recession; Japan, which has a 120 per cent sovereign debt ratio; or Europe, where the average rate of unemployment is in double digits and sovereign debt is in excess of 60 per cent. That is without even talking about Spain, Greece or Ireland, which are in severe recession, or Cyprus, which cannot afford to pay its debts. Those opposite should make those comparisons before they come in here and lecture us on the Australian economy.

Only recently we had representatives of the European parliament visit this place. It was interesting to hear what they had to say. They could not understand how we could be presiding over an economy which is the envy of the world—particularly the envy of Europe, including Britain—and be criticised for the running of it. One of the things they said to us was about what we have done with schools and investing in education. Not only did they note that we put money into building new classrooms and providing kids with the type of education they need to meet the challenges of the next century and beyond but they said, 'You kept people in employment but you are also going to get a productivity benefit as these kids grow and enter the workforce—having learned with the new, modern equipment, they will be more productive workers.' They thought that was a very innovative thing and one that should be emulated throughout European states. That is not bad. Bear in mind that those opposite—they are scurrying from the room—were at the same lunch being addressed by the same people and given the same talk, so this is something that is very bipartisan.

If you want to talk about where those opposite left this economy, interest rates were about 7½ per cent or something of that nature. Interest rates now, in terms of the cash rate, are down to three per cent. The average mortgage in my electorate is around $300,000. What this means for mums and dads in my electorate is a saving of over $100 a week. They have been about $5,000 a year better off since Labor came to power in 2007 because we have made sure that we put less pressure on interest rates than what those opposite did. Not only did we come through the global financial crisis but we kept inflation in check. We kept that genie in the bottle and therefore we have been able to deliver significant savings to mums and dads out there who are paying mortgages. They are saving that $100 a week.

That is just me looking at my own electorate. If you look at rating agencies, the three rating agencies in this country have rated the Australian economy with a AAA status. It is a rhetorical question but I will ask it: does anyone realise when that last occurred? The answer is never. This is the first time ever that the three rating agencies have given a AAA status to the Australian economy. When they want to come in here and lecture us about running an economy, perhaps they should think about what they have done, their past and their track record. It does not make for pleasant reading.

They also come with this political pitch that despite going out there and raging against the carbon price they are going to maintain the compensations associated with it. Is that the tripling of the tax-free threshold up to $18,000? Is that the compensation that is going to the mums and dads out there with kids? Is that the tax cut for everyone under $80,000? Mr Abbott is saying they are going to maintain it. Mr Hockey, on the other hand, is a little more grim about these things. Maybe he has checked the books and said: 'No we cannot do that. If there is no price on carbon then there is no reason for us to pay the compensation.'

Those opposite are trying to hoodwink the Australian public by coming along and, on one hand, telling us they are going to give us everything that we had and that they will not take anything off us but, on the other hand, saying that they are going to take away the carbon tax, they are going to take away the minerals resource rent tax and they are going to make sure that workers are looked after. What does that do for workers aspiring to 12 per cent superannuation to make sure they have some dignity in retirement?

I welcome the fact that this MPI was brought on. It does give us an opportunity not only to reflect on the virtues of the Australian economy but also to look at those who had charge of the Australian economy for 12 years. Look where they left it and look what we had to do to rebuild it.

Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The discussion on the matter of public importance has concluded.