Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Address be agreed to.

As someone who first swore loyalty to the Queen of Australia in 1979, and has held the Queen's Commission for over 30 years, I am honoured to move this address. I commence by congratulating you on your election. With your nuanced appreciation of the conventions of the House, I know you will grace the chair with patience, wisdom and aplomb. I also extend my congratulations to the Deputy Speaker and the Second Deputy Speaker on their elections.

Let me begin by acknowledging the debt of gratitude I owe to so many others, a debt that I am determined to repay through and by dedicated service in this parliament, a treasured—even sacred—privilege in trust and one which is much sought but seldom given.

In this my first speech, I hope to do two things: firstly, a measure of justice—however inadequate—to the many factors which have contributed to my presence in this parliament; secondly, articulate the strong and I suspect not unique burden of responsibility I feel to complete all of my duties to this House and to the nation it represents. Australia and her people deserve nothing less.

For much of the last three years I have campaigned full-time for the honour of representing the people of Northern Tasmania. Being elected as the member for Bass and serving the interests of my community, of my country, is the greatest honour of my life. I thank the former member, Geoff Lyons, for his contribution to Northern Tasmania but, above all, I thank the people of Bass for the trust they have vested in me. I will work diligently to repay that trust and to serve their interests with the same distinction shown by Kevin Newman and Warwick Smith, who were collectively elected nine times as members for Bass. I acknowledge, also, the longest serving of my predecessors, Lance Barnard.

Like most Australians, there are a small number of life-changing events that have nudged my life's journey on its unique arc—a trajectory, I admit, which has not always been elegant or graceful but one which has been consistently interesting and rich, in the best sense of that word.

One such event was my parents' decision to migrate to Australia in early 1965 from a village in the former Yugoslavia. I honour my birthplace and the decisions my parents took to seek a better life. Like most migrant families, we had highs and lows, but it is undeniable that everything I have achieved since arriving in Australia results from citizenship of this great country.

Our early years in Australia were spent in Melbourne, before we moved to the outback opal-mining town of Andamooka and then, in 1973, to Adelaide, where my mother raised three boys on her own. We received help to overcome the inevitable challenges. A Housing Trust home was allocated to us and, when our mother became ill, we received great care from the St Joseph's Home for Boys—something I will never forget. I thank the Catholic Church for its support at that time—compassion not always or fully acknowledged today.

Those years in the northern suburbs of Adelaide instilled valuable lessons in life and a sense of belonging. They reinforced the value of reward for effort, the importance of community, and the close correlation between effort and ambition.

The Australian Regular Army, which I joined as a 17-year-old private soldier, was a second great shaping influence in my life. A 31-year career followed with opportunities to lead the world's best soldiers in peace and war. My military career encompassed many postings around Australia, and the privilege of living and working in places like Israel, Syria, Southern Lebanon, the Philippines, the United States, Afghanistan and Iraq.

I consider myself fortunate to have served our country on operations—fortunate because of the quality of the Australian service men and women that stood beside me. If I can bring to the deliberations of this House just a little of the quality, character and commitment that they showed, I will be well pleased. I take this opportunity to acknowledge all who have served our country in uniform. To those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, to Sergeant Andrew Russell and several others, I will never forget you or your service.

I stand in the shadow of other senior military officers elected to this parliament, notable Australians like a distinguished former member for Warringah, Sir Granville Ryrie, Sir Neville Howse VC, Kevin Newman, and the late David Thomson MC—the last two of whom, like me, were products of the Royal Australian Infantry. I add my own tribute to the words of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and others yesterday in support of David Thomson—a life very well lived.

I acknowledge my battalions—the 1st and 3rd battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment, where I served as both an infantry soldier and an officer. The motto of the Royal Australian Regiment, 'Duty First', retains, I think, an enduring relevance in my new role.

During over 20 postings in Australia and overseas our family has forged many friendships. I acknowledge them all and mention a few: Leigh and Liz Shepherd, Mick and Gina Callan, and Paul and Terri Landford—lifelong and loved friends—and Jim Connolly, Gary Bornholt, Mick Humphreys, Jock Campbell, Angus Campbell and Gary Hogan, from my time at Kapyong Barracks.

In more recent years, I served under Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie during Australia's first deployment to Afghanistan in 2001 and, later, when he was Chief of Army and Vice Chief of the Defence Force. Ken is an inspirational leader and I am grateful to have experienced his wisdom and professional example. I acknowledge also and thank General Peter Cosgrove, and British generals Jonathon Riley and Sir Jim Dutton of the Royal Marines, for the opportunities they gave me in southern Iraq.

For most of his time as Chief of the Defence Force I worked for Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston. Prior to that I worked with the current CDF, General David Hurley. Both are outstanding leaders who afforded me opportunities to participate in events that have truly shaped our military history. On the civilian side of Defence, I have worked with gifted public servants like Peter Jennings and Nick Warner, who exemplify the gold standard of professional public service.

Amongst the defence ministers I have worked with, I acknowledge particularly Dr Brendan Nelson—his mastery of his brief and his close personal commitment to the force protection needs of our troops. I acknowledge also the professionalism of Senator John Faulkner and his office.

I am proud to have served with all of these exceptional leaders.

In its own quiet but rigorously demanding way, the Army, and defence, were very good to, and for, me. In my youth—as with so many others—the Army gave me order, discipline and structure, and, later still, education, training, and, perhaps most importantly, continuous purposeful endeavour and responsibility. Becoming responsible for 30 people at the age of 20 certainly has a way of recasting your priorities in life. These things sustained me and I grew professionally and personally as a result. In an age of increasing and empty celebrity, I am grateful for the substance and foundations given me by defence as a truly national and eminent institution.

But I have left the greatest influence to last. Marrying Christine almost 28 years ago is a standout. Together we have raised a family and shared remarkable times around Australia and the world. More often than not, it was Christine who was primary carer of our children, while working shifts as a nurse. She has tolerated the short-notice moves and unaccompanied postings with all the grit and grace one would expect of a Launceston girl.

We are very proud of our best ever joint project—our three children. We are thankful for their enrichment of our lives. Our elder daughter, Lieutenant Julia Nikolic, will soon complete her second tour of Afghanistan. Our younger daughter, Dr Amanda Nikolic, is about to complete her internship. And our youngest, Matthew, continues with work and study. And, just as Christine compelled me by quiet example to so often step up to the plate in life, so Matthew's sisters are inspiring both him and me with their youthful application and success. In so doing, they embody both merit and young womanhood in action—and more power to them! I acknowledge also my mother, Jelica; Sam; my mother-in-law, Margaret; and my father-in-law, the late Peter Symons, who made a wonderful contribution to northern Tasmania. Symons Court in Launceston is named after him, and I aspire to his remarkable generosity of spirit.

Finally, before I move on to other matters, it is never lost on me that my family exemplifies what some have called the Australian compact—the provision of opportunity matched by the requirement for individuals to seize that opportunity with equivalent focus, drive and effort. Like everything in life, the Australian compact is imperfect, but few countries can genuinely boast of anything like it to the same degree as Australia can.

I know, too, that others in this House, and indeed the country, have similar stories to my own—different perhaps in the detail but united nevertheless by the consistent and interwoven threads of opportunity seized, personal ambition and sheer hard work. In short, I have seen enough of the world under all conditions to appreciate that this is a country like no other.

The electorate I am honoured to represent is a diverse and beautiful part of Australia. From the Cataract Gorge in Launceston, winding along the Tamar River to George Town and Low Head, there is much to admire and protect, as there is in the coastal areas to Bridport, the rich chocolate soils and pasture country of the north-east and the scenic beauty of the Furneaux Group of islands.

The people of Bass are rich in character and aspiration. They rely on the institutions comprising our parliamentary democracy to fulfil those aspirations. As Her Excellency the Governor-General pointed out yesterday, the election on 7 September reminds us all of how proud we should be of our democratic institutions. It was a peaceful, tolerant, and open election—a valuable dividend from successive generations who have maintained a patient, purposeful and evolutionary approach to strengthening our democracy. Those of us who have witnessed firsthand the alternatives around the world are reminded that we must cherish what we have and what we sometimes, regrettably, take for granted. Modern, functioning democracy is and will remain, in equal parts, rare, precious and fragile. Widespread, active and moderate participation in it is probably its best safeguard.

I am proud to be a member of a party that puts the needs of its people first and that is committed to creating the conditions where our people's dreams can flourish in response to their own effort and commitment, a party focussed on encouraging the initiative of our citizens, not on centralising responsibility in this parliament. To paraphrase Her Excellency's remarks yesterday, we are not about bigger government but stronger people.

Earlier I referred to some shaping experiences that underpin my values and beliefs. These can be distilled to three key priorities. The first is nurturing a stronger sense of community and citizenship. Second is minimising government intervention and impact on the rights and responsibilities of the individual. Third is enabling and empowering individual aspiration and reward for effort so as to encourage and foster wider investment and entrepreneurship. Together and individually these things are mutually supporting and deserve this parliament's support.

My early priorities in Bass are simply to deliver that which we promised during the election: a significant federal boost to support a healthier Tamar River; transforming Launceston's North Bank; new mountain bike trails in the north-east; the refurbishment of Invermay Park, where Ricky Ponting first showed his talents; addressing a major traffic and safety hot spot on Westbury Road; and building Northern Tasmania's most significant stormwater harvesting scheme at George Town. In the recent election, Bass swung by almost 11 per cent, signalling a strong desire for change. My community wants me, as their voice in Canberra, and those of us on this side of the House, to focus on real and practical action to overcome the many problems confronting our state. This is unsurprising given Tasmania's performance against a range of national benchmarks. Our jobless rate of above eight per cent is shameful and is up almost 43 per cent on the decade average. Our employment participation rate is too low and the youth unemployment rate disturbingly high. We are sick of hearing the words 'slow lane' associated with Tasmania. As one of three new Tasmanian representatives in this House, as one of the three amigos along with the members for Braddon and Lyons, we are committed to redressing the parlous decline in Tasmania's fortunes. The top three priorities in our home state, now and for the foreseeable future, will be jobs, jobs and jobs.

I thank the Prime Minister for his personal commitment to a brighter future for Tasmania, for his frequent visits to our state and for his personal encouragement of me. I was very pleased that yesterday Her Excellency highlighted the new government's economic growth plan for Tasmania. The plan, announced by the Prime Minister on 15 August, will address critical deficiencies, enabling us to reset our economic course to a brighter future that includes reinvigorating valuable industries like forestry and mining, optimising the benefits of new irrigation projects, exploring the exciting possibilities to develop the DSTO facility at Scottsdale, better utilising the training potential of the Australian Maritime College, encouraging more Tasmanians into work not welfare, transforming our educational approach in Tasmania into better tertiary and vocational pathways that accentuate quality over quantity, and ensuring that those who want to invest in Tasmania can do so without myriad unnecessary obstacles.

Delivering on these initiatives and our national priorities requires commitment and persistence. We see in Prime Minister Tony Abbott and in this government the character and commitment to do what we said. I know Australians will welcome that. They will welcome the coalition's reduction of debt and a live-within-our-means philosophy. As Her Excellency said yesterday, every dollar the government spends is a dollar made by someone else. It is important that all of us remember that.

Australians will also welcome the scrapping of unnecessary taxes and red tape, the establishment of enduring disincentives for the people-smuggling trade and the promotion of greater productivity and a cooperative workplace culture of partnership and continuous improvement. They will most certainly welcome constructive and civil engagement in this parliament focussed on solving problems beyond this chamber. If there is one thing that the 43rd parliament sharply illustrated, and the last four years in my home state have regrettably shown, it is that government in Australia is always best served when the established mainstream political parties are strong—both the Liberal-National coalition and the Labor Party. This sets the foundation for a robust contest of ideas on the matters most relevant to our people. This strength is also more likely to generate valid alternative policy positions and such strength may also negate the damaging pitfalls of minority party, single-focus politics, of which the Australian people are understandably weary. In addition to my primary responsibility to the people of Bass, I want to help develop good policies in the areas of international relations and defence. I will actively promote the need to reinvigorate a sense of citizenship in our country to ensure that we more fully acknowledge the responsibilities that derive from the proud claim 'I am an Australian.'

I thank the hundreds of friends and campaign workers who have tirelessly supported my election. I cannot mention them all, but I acknowledge particularly John Oldenhoff, Linda Madill, Lynn Presnell, Richard Trethewie, Kristen Finnigan, Anita Devlin, Peter Collenette, Leanne Holland, Tim Robertson and Dorothy Dehais. More recently, I am grateful for the efforts of Wendy Summers and Don Morris and my new office staff for so quickly establishing our presence in Launceston.

I thank former Prime Minister John Howard for his thoughtful advice in recent years, and acknowledge the many colleagues in this House who have supported me. In addition to the Prime Minister, I particularly recognise the members for Flinders, Sturt, Paterson and Wentworth. I acknowledge also the support of our hardworking Tasmanian Senate team, particularly Senator Eric Abetz and my Launceston based colleague Senator Stephen Parry.

I thank the state Liberal team led by Will Hodgman; Peter Gutwein, for his contribution; and especially Michael Ferguson, a former federal member for Bass. I thank Wendy Summers again for her tireless work as my campaign director; and the Tasmanian division of the Liberal Party, ably led by Sam McQuestin.

Madam Speaker, I conclude by again thanking the people of Bass for the trust they have placed in me and I recommit myself to working hard every single day in support of their interests and aspirations. I commend the motion to the House.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the honourable member for Corangamite, I ask members in the House to extend the same courtesies to her as you did to the member for Bass in the making of his maiden speech. I call the member for Corangamite to second the motion and give her speech.

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion. Madam Speaker, I begin by congratulating you on achieving the high office of Speaker. After the past three years, I believe Australians are looking forward to a renewed dignity and order in this place. You will no doubt play a pivotal, or perhaps even formidable, role in restoring full public confidence in the Commonwealth parliament of this great nation.

I am honoured and proud to rise to speak for the first time as the 14th member for Corangamite. To the people of Corangamite: I am deeply conscious of the responsibility and trust you have placed in me; thank you. We live in an electorate which is vast and diverse and abounds with many of nature's gifts. Our coastline alone spans 188 kilometres, from the historic township of Queenscliff to Ocean Grove and the rolling surf of Torquay, all the way along the magnificent Great Ocean Road, past rugged limestone and sandstone cliffs, white beaches as far as the eye can see and vibrant coastal communities—places like Anglesea, Lorne and Apollo Bay—to Cape Otway and beyond. This journey along the Great Ocean Road is made possible by the sweat and toil of the returned soldiers of the Great War who built this iconic road between 1919 and 1932. It is the world's largest war memorial.

Now one of our prized tourism destinations, 1.7 million tourists travel the Great Ocean Road each year, bringing $2.1 billion to the Australian economy. The Liberal Party's $25 million election commitment to upgrade this road, matched by another $25 million from the Victorian government, is an investment not just in tourism but in jobs, road safety and our regional economy. That is why building the roads of the 21st century is so important.

In my electorate, there is much wonder to be found inland. There are the soaring rainforests and old timber towns of the Otways and further on. There are rolling hills of beef and dairy cattle and sheep, and crops of wheat, barley and canola from Winchelsea to Colac and Cressy, and from Bannockburn to Smythesdale. There is a rich diversity of industry across the landscape—timber and lamb in Colac; goats cheese in Meredith; poultry and pigs in Lethbridge; and agroforestry and organic produce through the valleys of the Otways.

Our primary producers are so important to our nation. They run businesses which help to keep country communities vibrant and which put food on the table. They are sustained by hard work, by innovation and, at times—in the face of drought and financial hardship—by sheer resilience.

With Australian farmers exporting 60 per cent of what they grow and produce, we must do all we can to open new markets and finalise free trade agreements with the likes of China and South Korea. In my electorate, our predecessor's failure to make these agreements a priority—along with the carbon tax and a raft of regulatory burdens—has taken its toll.

Corangamite stretches into the southern suburbs of Geelong, which has a history rich in wool and manufacturing. It is now also a city of administration, education and innovation. Geelong is the home of Deakin University, the Transport Accident Commission and the mighty Geelong Cats Football Club. It will be the new headquarters of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. In its Barwon trial stage, the NDIS is already providing so much hope to so many.

There are many great success stories, particularly in small businesses—the quiet heroes of our national economy—and we have much potential. Geelong has potential as a centre of educational excellence and in carbon fibre production, ecotourism, high-value manufacturing, food processing, the health sciences and innovation. But we also face challenges. As I stand here today, 299 Qantas workers from the heavy maintenance base in Avalon are coming to grips with losing their jobs. Under the previous federal government, Ford announced that it would cease manufacturing cars in Australia in 2016; Alcoa declared that it was reviewing the future of its Point Henry smelter—such an important employer for our region; Shell's North Geelong refinery was put up for sale.

At the 2013 federal election, the Australian people were looking for change. They were seeking stable and competent government. But with this comes great responsibility. As a government we know how important it is to get our policy settings right to build a strong and prosperous economy to drive investment and job creation. To do this we also need to harness the ideas and determination of the Australian people. That is because it is the enterprise, freedom and hard work of individuals which unleash our greatest potential. A nation which puts its people above its government is one which invests in its future. A nation which aspires to foster the best in its people is one which cares for those who need our help. These are the values of Liberalism which I hold so dear.

Today, I reiterate my solemn commitment that I will be the strong, local voice that the people of Corangamite so deserve. Sometimes this will require only a whisper; at other times a roar of determination. I am up for the challenge. I have spent most of my life speaking out and standing up for others—in journalism, in law and in small business. I am humbled to continue this work as a servant of the people.

I grew up in a family which believed that anything was possible. It is wonderful to see my sister, Jodie, with her three children, Angus, Marcus and Louis, and my brother, Andrew, in the gallery today. There are other special family members here also including my aunt, Virginia Hansen, who is a bit like my second mother, and her husband, Ian. At every turn we were encouraged to be the best that we could be and to follow our dreams. My late parents, Ann and Michael Henderson, built our first family home in Belmont near the Barwon River on the eastern edge of the Corangamite electorate. They shared a strong belief in the importance of family, education and enterprise. They worked hard to give us opportunities—Mum for the likes of Legacy, Do Care and the National Trust, and Dad as one of those caring country solicitors for whom nothing was too much trouble. Our life was full of fun and adventure and my parents were always there for us. Some of my most special memories were in the simple pleasures—our summers on the back beach of Queenscliff, pumpkin soup by the fire on a Sunday afternoon, and visits to the old steam train on Belmont Common.

Mum and Dad were deeply involved in their community and in politics. Dad was a local councillor and ran for the Victorian seat of Geelong West in the early eighties. He narrowly missed out, as did Mum when she contested the same seat, renamed Geelong, in 1988. But persistence is a hallmark in our family. Mum picked herself up again and she ran and was elected in 1992. I had a similar journey. After falling short in the 2010 federal election I cannot describe how proud my parents would be to see me here today, 21 years after Mum, as the member for Corangamite.

As an advocate Ann Henderson instilled in me the importance of compassion, integrity and common sense. The redevelopment of the Geelong waterfront, a sparkling jewel in our city's crown, was to be her lasting legacy. As housing minister she revolutionised waiting lists for public housing by giving priority to those most in need. The most vulnerable of families and those with a disability were no longer stuck at the back of the queue. In the best of Liberal traditions Mum understood that good government often required thinking outside the square and challenging convention. Perhaps her finest moment was in September 1997. As minister for Aboriginal affairs she led the way in apologising, on behalf of the people of Victoria, to the stolen generations.

I could not have wished for a better education, first at Sacred Heart College, Geelong, and then at Geelong College. I was later to complete an honours degree in law at Monash University. I learnt to speak Indonesian because, even back then, I figured it made sense to learn the language of such an important near neighbour. Our government's focus on the Asian century reflects our conviction in the untapped opportunities that Asia presents to this generation and to our children and grandchildren.

I started work at the age of 17 for Channel 7 in Melbourne. Life as a television journalist took me to all corners of this continent and around the world. I reported on stories of injustice and tragedy and human achievement. Yet no-one made more impact on me than a woman called Lynne, one of the survivors of the Port Arthur massacre. She told her story with such bravery and courage. I salute Prime Minister John Howard's decision to restrict gun ownership in the wake of this utterly tragic day. The mark of a great Prime Minister is one who can bring a nation with him or with her. John Howard did this on many issues, but perhaps none more so than gun control. Australians will discover that Prime Minister Tony Abbott has that same capacity for consistent and principled leadership exercised in the national interest. It is an honour to serve as part of his team.

Dame Enid Lyons, the first woman to take her place in the House of Representatives, spoke of the Australian character in her first speech in 1943. It was formed, she said, by a hatred of oppression, love of a fair go and a passion for justice. It is for these reasons that I decided to study and then practise law. That led to a wonderful opportunity to work in New York in the heady days of the dotcom boom and bust and to start my own business. And it is for these reasons that I stand here today.

Dame Enid made history, but she did not make gender of itself an issue. She knew that her success would rise and fall on her capacity for hard work, on her quest for new ideas and on her ability to empathise with the people she represented. Let us fight discrimination at every turn. Let us ensure that we are a country where equality knows no bounds. To lay false claim in the name of one's gender has never been the Australian way.

One of my most rewarding roles was with National Indigenous Television, which is now part of SBS television. I saw the joy that flows when we respect the stories and history of our First Australians. Yesterday, in the welcome to country ceremony on the occasion of the opening of this 44th Parliament, the Prime Minister spoke of his commitment to recognise Indigenous Australians in our Constitution. Like the 1967 referendum, Mabo and the national apology, the recognition of our First Australians will help to heal and unify and better define who we are as a nation.

I look forward to working hard in representing the people of Corangamite on the issues I fought for during my 2013 election campaign: doctor shortages in Colac, better postal services, safer roads and investing in the infrastructure for the future, upgrading the Great Ocean Road and duplicating the Princes Highway from Waurn Ponds all the way to Colac. My No. 1 priority is and will remain jobs.

In the services that governments deliver and in the infrastructure they build, I believe there must be greater equity in regional Australia. The tyranny of distance is a constant challenge for all governments. In a continent as large as ours, our comparatively small population does not deliver sufficient revenue to do all things for all people. Tough choices need to be made, yet people living in small country towns and regional cities deserve their fair share of the pie. I will doggedly stand up for all communities in my electorate, big and small, on important issues like communications, better health services, better transport, child care and equal access to education.

In March this year, the small township of Dereel in the northern part of the electorate was hit by bushfire. Sixteen homes were lost in this notorious mobile phone black spot, which to date has not been remedied. With telephone lines down, there was no way of calling for help. I am extremely proud of our $100 million commitment to fix mobile phone black spots, which reflects a genuine care for country people. So I say to the people of Dereel and to communities like Gellibrand, Birregurra and Rokewood: we are listening. We are also listening on the rollout of fast broadband, which will be a priority in regional Australia. The Australia I want to see is one where we can better connect with each other and where families can prosper, no matter where we live. The Australia I want to see is one where businesses can flourish absent of unnecessary regulatory burden, which deadens the spirit of enterprise.

I wish to raise two important issues for the people living in Corangamite. Across what is known as our G21 region, there are more than 23,000 active businesses. More than 80 per cent of these are run by sole traders or have fewer than five employees. Small business is our lifeblood. They need to be supported by policies which allow them to thrive and grow and employ our next generation of Australians. In some sectors the market share of a couple of big players is crushing small business. Our commitment to conduct a root-and-branch review of competition law is one of the important steps we are taking to stand up for the engine room of our economy. I believe in free markets and in competition. That includes combating abuses of market power. I am proud to be part of a government which is not afraid to ask the hard questions.

I also want to highlight the importance of our natural environment. In such a beautiful part of the world, Corangamite residents feel very strongly about protecting one of our most important assets. The Liberal Party has a strong tradition of practical environmentalism. It was the coalition which established stage 1 of Kakadu National Park and ended whaling in Australia. It was the coalition which put the Great Barrier Reef on a sustainable footing a decade ago. We are now delivering a 15,000-strong Green Army and tackling climate change. I commit myself to being a passionate defender of our precious environment.

There are many people to thank who have helped me along my journey. First and foremost I thank local members of the Liberal Party who work so hard. Some are here in the gallery today. I particularly acknowledge Dean Bushell, Robert Hardie, Kerry Ridgeway and my campaign team: Jocelen Griffiths, Robyn Cox, Robert Charles, Ian Smith, David Harris, Simon Terpstra, Amanda McFarlane, Helene Bender and Aaron Lane. In this Federation seat, I acknowledge those who have served before me. They include Stewart McArthur and the former foreign minister Tony Street. Both were great defenders of our Liberal traditions. The Liberal Party is a great organisation. I thank the President of the Liberal Party, Tony Snell, state director, Damien Mantach, and federal director, Brian Loughnane, for all they have done. I wish to make special mention of Prime Minister Abbott, who has encouraged me at every step, along with his chief of staff, Peta Credlin. So many MPs helped my fight. At the risk of naming names, a special thank you to Julie Bishop, Andrew Robb, Joe Hockey, Malcolm Turnbull, Christopher Pyne, Helen Kroger, Josh Frydenberg, Alan Tudge, Dan Tehan and Greg Hunt, who was there for me when the chips were down. To Michael Ronaldson, my former patron senator, thank you.

There are many other friends and supporters who cannot be here today:Jeff Kennett, Robert Doyle, Frank Costa and Jim Cousins. There are some who are here: my dear friendsAlister Paterson, Anna Warne and Angela Pearman.

We all know that preselections can be tough. My battle was no different. But you can find love in the oddest of places. I met my partner, Simon Ramsay, now a Victorian member of parliament, during the 2010 Corangamite preselection. We are a great team and I thank Simon from the bottom of my heart for all his love, support and commitment.

And then there is my beautiful seven-year-old son, Jeremy. We say to each other all the time: 'I love you, all the way to infinity.' Thank you, Jem, for your understanding and support as we embark on this new phase of our lives.

I want to end with a pearl of wisdom from my mother, who was always there to inspire me, even as she battled cancer. In January 2000 she wrote:

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars.

In my service to the people of Corangamite, that is what I will be doing. Thank you.

Andrew Leigh (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I congratulate the members for Bass and Corangamite on the passion with which they have delivered their first speeches and hope that they will serve their constituencies with the same energy and passion as their predecessors did.

I want to begin my remarks today with the stories of two constituents of mine: Carol and Denise. Denise has a 21-year-old son, Tim, with Down syndrome. She regularly has to prove his eligibility for a modest Centrelink payment and work within a system that has not been working for her and has not been working for Tim. Tim's chromosomes are not going to change, but the old system required her to prove that. DisabilityCare will change that.

Then there is 48-year-old Carol, who works as a cleaner. Despite working on Sundays to earn some overtime she still earns less than $37,000 a year. Carol is not alone. A lot of low-income workers in cleaning, aged care, retail and hospitality are not full time and they are predominantly women. The removal of the low-income superannuation contribution will affect 3.6 million Australians and two-thirds of them are women. All of them, like Carol, work hard to make ends meet. They are the mothers who work part time because they are looking after young children. For them, saving for later in life is not a tax strategy.

DisabilityCare and the low-income superannuation contribution demonstrate how Labor takes the initiative to defend those who are doing it tough. Labor is the party of ideas and we are the party of reform, the party with the courage to make the big decisions when they are needed. As the opposition leader said at this year's Fraser lecture:

We’re the dreamers, doers and fighters.

We have ideas, and … we’re prepared to fight to make them a reality.

I agree. Only the Labor Party is prepared to fight for a fair go for all and shoulder the responsibility for reform. Only Labor knows that reform must balance economic imperatives with social need and hope. I am sorry to say that that is in stark contrast to the approach of the Abbott government. We have already seen how quick they are to protect sympathetic vested interests and how much quicker they are to slug those doing it tough.

The Treasurer would have you believe that drastic action has to be taken because of the economic legacy left by Labor. Over the next few weeks we are doubtless going to hear, time and time again, what a terrible state the economy is in. Before the Treasurer attempts to airbrush recent history, let's take a sober and sensible look at the economy that the government have inherited and what they have done with it so far. That look has to recognise the simple, fundamental truth. The government have inherited economic statistics and public finances that are better than those of almost any country in the developed world.

In Business SpectatorStephen Koukoulas wrote, following the 2012 budget outcome in September this year, about some of the salient economic statistics. He pointed out that the budget deficit had fallen to 1.2 per cent of GDP in 2012-13, a reduction of 1.7 per cent in the deficit from the previous financial year. This was, as Mr Koukoulas pointed out, the largest year-to-year fall ever recorded for a budget deficit. Net government debt rose by a paltry 0.1 per cent of GDP in 2012-13, and a 10.1 per cent of GDP gives us one of the lowest levels of government net debt in the world.

Australia remains, despite talk of budget emergencies, one of the few countries to maintain a AAA credit rating from all three international ratings agencies. It fell to the Labor government to deal with the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. But, at the end of that, we left Australia with an unemployment rate well below the average for the developed world and with a level of public debt well below the average for the developed world.

In spite of the global financial crisis we created over one million new jobs, while the rest of the world shed 29 million new jobs. Australian families saw their interest rates fall. A family with an average mortgage of $300,000 was $5,500 better off than they had been when the coalition were last in government.

When he released the budget outcome, the Treasurer claimed that the next year's budget would be the legacy of the Labor Party. How times have changed because, when asked on 6 August, when would a coalition government own the economy, the Treasurer answered:

We will own the economy from day one, whether it's Labor's fault or not. I'm not afraid to accept responsibility and I'm not afraid to be accountable.

But as soon as he became the Treasurer the tune changed. As Stephen Koukoulas has argued, the government has inherited some of the best budget and government debt circumstances in the world. As a share of GDP, government spending is 24 per cent in 2012-13, a little less than the average of 25 per cent over the last 30 years, and approximately the same as the average spending to GDP ratio under the Howard government.

Let us not have the rhetoric of 'profligacy' and 'budget emergencies' in this place. No coalition government has ever once delivered a single year in which there was a cut in real government spending. By contrast, Labor delivered real spending cuts in the last year's budget. Not only did we deliver real spending cuts, we delivered nominal spending cuts. Despite inflation, dollar spending actually fell.

So much for the Treasurer's bluster about waste. Labor's investments were vital investments for Australia's future: DisabilityCare, Better Schools, making sure that Australia's low-income workers did not end up getting a worse deal out of superannuation than the highest income workers. I look forward to the explanations of the Prime Minister, his hand-picked adviser Maurice Newman and the Treasurer to people like Carol and Denise, who are seeing threats to DisabilityCare and who are seeing their superannuation taxes rise, and to those unemployed Australians who are seeing an effective cut in unemployment benefits through the withdrawal of the income support bonus. I look forward to them receiving an adequate explanation from the Prime Minister and the Treasurer.

Treasury estimates that 36 per cent of tax concessions for superannuation contributions went to the top 10 per cent of income earners. As for the bottom 10 per cent, they were actually penalised rather than subsidised out of the superannuation system. This is not fair. It is not fair for people on low or modest incomes to give up more to increase their superannuation savings. It is not fair that this government places a higher priority on looking after 16,000 Australians with superannuation assets over $2 million than it does on looking after the interests of three million low-paid workers, two million of whom are women.

The Prime Minister has made a great deal of the importance of promise keeping. A few days before the election he told the doyenne of the press gallery, Michelle Grattan, that he would 'move heaven and earth to keep commitments and only if keeping commitments becomes almost impossible' could he ever be justified in not keeping them. He went on to say, 'The electorate would take a very dim view of breaking promises, even in difficult circumstances.' After just three weeks in office this government had already broken three promises.

The first has been the budget non-emergency. After railing against debt and deficits, after relying on the misleading gross debt figures, the Treasurer was already looking to reclassify debt so he could borrow more for his favourite projects. The budget deficit is going to be significantly larger under Treasurer Hockey than it would have been under Treasurer Bowen. This week the Treasurer will ask the parliament to increase the debt limit to half a trillion dollars. We on this side of the House understand and support a necessary increase to the debt limit. We will move amendments to set a debt limit of $400 billion. We are not going to play Tea Party games with the economy. But we demand the Treasurer be up-front and honest with the Australian people about why he wants an increase to $500 billion, why he wants a 66 per cent increase in the nation's credit card limit. The Treasurer has refused to release the Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, his mini-budget, which would track any estimated increase in peak net debt and which would show whether those decisions were decisions for which the new Treasurer should take responsibility. It is not reasonable for the Treasurer to expect Australians to tick off a two-thirds increase in the nation's credit card limit with no information provided. I think Treasurer Hockey is probably the only person in Australia who thinks he can nearly double his credit card limit without a single bit of paper to justify it. It was low-doc loans that got the US into some of its financial strife, but the Treasurer is now effectively asking this parliament for a no-doc loan. That is not good enough. As a prominent Australians said of a prior debt increase in May 2012:

Our money, our future is too important to be mortgaged like this without government giving us the strongest possible argument for it. Every dollar they borrow has got to be repaid.

That is the now Prime Minister speaking on 2GB in May 2012. What the opposition is asking of the government is nothing more than Mr Abbott asked of us in May 2012.

The Treasurer has topped up the Reserve Bank with close to $9 billion, an increase which he has funded through borrowing, costing the Australian taxpayer a million dollars a day. Again, it is a no-doc decision. Australians do not have the information in front of them to enable them to judge whether or not that is a reasonable course of action. Last week the Treasurer announced changes to taxation that will increase the budget deficit by $3 billion over the forward estimates. He has watered down Labor's attempts to get multinationals to pay their fair share of tax. Profit shifting is a vital international issue. The G20 will be discussing this. Labor's reforms to stop profit shifting would have added $1.8 billion to the budget. But, by the coalition's reckoning, after they have finished their attempts to deal with profit shifting will only net $1.1 billion. That is money that has to be made up. That $700 million difference either means a reduction in services for Australian households or higher taxes.

As the shadow Treasurer stated:

The fiscal deterioration, the $9bn RBA grant and other major revenue announcements have all occurred since 7 September on Mr Hockey’s watch.

If, as he said on 6 August, the Treasurer owns the economy from day one and is not afraid to accept responsibility, then this broken promise falls squarely to him. Trying to blame Labor for the 2013-14 budget outcome would be like a coach who takes over a quarter of the way through the season and then tries to blame his predecessor for the finals result.

The second broken promise is the pledge that no public servants would be fired. That pledge was broken on the first full day the Prime Minister was in his job, when three agency heads were fired. It has been broken subsequently when natural attrition has been replaced—

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

Order! It being 1.45, the debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may be resumed at a later hour. The member for Fraser will have leave to continue his remarks.