Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in reply to the Governor-General's address, made earlier this week at the opening of this the 44th Australian Parliament, and I congratulate you, Mr Deputy Speaker, on your election.

I stand before you with a great sense of duty, purpose and humility as the newly elected representative of the place of my birth: the outstanding electorate of Hinkler. It is a diverse region, known for its heavy red soil and clear blue waters. From the fishing villages to the city centres, from the country towns to the beachside communities, Hinkler is an electorate of great beauty, immense diversity and major opportunity. We are truly blessed to have so many local assets—whether it is watching whales making their annual migration through Hervey Bay, simply enjoying the sounds of the waves gently lapping on Woodgate Beach, seeing the loggerhead turtles lay their eggs at Mon Repos, fishing in the Burrum River, gazing on the rolling red and green hills around Childers or savouring some freshly caught local seafood, like the world renowned Hervey Bay scallops. It is no wonder so many retired Australians move to the region to relax when their working days are done.

However, there is no denying that Hinkler also has its challenges. It would be remiss of me to stand in this place on behalf of the people of Hinkler and not mention the natural disasters of 2013. On the Australia Day weekend, Hinkler was hit by the remainder of Tropical Cyclone Oswald. Widespread flooding and several tornadoes ravaged the region. Streets, homes, businesses and farms were destroyed. The events proved that Dorothea Mackellar's assessment of Australia is as true today as it was when she first wrote My Country in the early 1900s. She told of a 'land of droughts and flooding rains—her beauty and her terror!' Those haunting scenes will forever be etched in our minds. And how could they not be?

For some, the Australia Day weekend was the second time their business or home had flooded in three years. You would not blame them for throwing in the towel, putting their hands up and saying, 'I give up.' But that is not the Australian way. That is not the Hinkler way. Our residents are a resilient and determined bunch. Throughout the electorate, people worked for days in the muck and filth, to help clean up. Neighbours helped neighbours; strangers helped each other. Bakers worked 24/7 to supply food to their local townships. Truckloads of donated goods just continued to show up. Countless Australians donated money. Our armed forces and emergency service personnel rallied together.

The member for Warringah, Prime Minister Tony Abbott, and the member for New England, Minister Barnaby Joyce, were there too. They, and their staff, rolled up their sleeves and set to work without hesitation. As we made our way down some slippery, muddy stairs with our now Prime Minister and a large wooden wardrobe, I recall making a joke about the possibility of a leadership spill. To this day, I still think it was funny, but it went down like a brick-and-tile glider with the local volunteers! The clean-up was colossal and a true representation of the Australian spirit. I could not be prouder of the people in my electorate. As a community, they put in an almighty effort.

While we are truly grateful for the support and goodwill we received in the days and weeks after, there is still much work to be done. The television cameras have moved on, but Hinkler's need is still great. We understand all too well that, without the images of devastation on the evening news, it is easy for Australians to forget that the recovery continues. I speak on behalf of all Hinkler residents when I say our thoughts and prayers are with all people affected by the many other natural disasters that have occurred in recent times, both here and abroad. Through you, Madam Speaker, I ask members to keep natural disaster victims in their thoughts well after the events. What we do here, in this place, can make a difference to their lives. I will be doing everything in my power to ensure the Hinkler region does more than just recover.

The greatest thing we can do to help communities prosper is provide Australians with hope and opportunity—opportunity for education, opportunity for training and opportunity for employment. Employment gives people the ability to pay their own way and provide for their families. The people of this great nation should be able to depend on their elected representatives, but that does not mean we should be building a nation of dependence.

Members on this side of the House understand that governments do not create jobs—businesses do. If we are to create opportunities for Hinkler residents, we must make it easier, not harder, for people to do business in Australia. Repealing the carbon tax will be the great first step in helping Australian farmers to flourish. Electricity costs incurred by irrigators, for example, skyrocketed with the introduction of the tax. Cutting red and green tape will also save businesses time and money. In recent years, Hinkler producers have struggled to receive a fair return for the risk they take. Even those producers willing to persevere through bad weather have lost the ability to prosper. Australia's farmers deserve better than to just break even.

Put simply, here in Australia regulation is high. Input costs are high. Labour costs are high. The Australian dollar is high. And yet—unsurprisingly—profits are low. Under Labor, we were at risk of losing our global competitiveness. A root and branch review of competition laws, as promised by this government, will ensure large and small businesses have an even playing field. We need a supermarket code of conduct with teeth, to ensure small- to medium-sized suppliers are getting a fair go.

Small businesses are the backbone of regional Australia. They employ about 50 per cent of all Australians working in the private sector. In Queensland, small businesses account for 96 per cent of all businesses in the state. That is why we must remove the bureaucratic shackles now, so that our businesses are ready for any opportunities that come their way. And there will be opportunities.

As household incomes increase in India and Asia, so too will the demand for reliable, safe and fresh Australian produce: sugar, sweet potatoes, avocados, mangoes, macadamias, capsicums, tomatoes, strawberries—the list goes on. Hinkler has a proud history as one of the nation's food bowls. Named after the great aviator Bert Hinkler, the Hinkler electorate is also known for innovation, from the mechanical cane harvester to beverages like the famous Bundaberg Rum and Bundaberg Brewed Drinks. The Hinkler region has always punched above its weight and I am proud to say manufacturing is alive and well in Hinkler. As our lives become increasingly busy, demand for convenient, value-added products—like those produced by AvoFresh, Jakes Candy, Macadamias Australia and Farmfresh Fine Foods—will continue to grow. With its access to quality produce and proximity to Brisbane, Hinkler's manufacturing sector is facing a period of enormous potential. If there is one thing people should take away from this, my maiden speech, it is that we have a lot to offer in the Hinkler district and we are open for business.

Well-planned infrastructure, delivered in a timely manner, is vital to helping businesses get their products to market. It also facilitates service delivery to regional Australia, and provides long-term employment and opportunities for training and development. The Hinkler electorate is ideally situated for a container port to service Central and South-East Queensland, without impacting on the Great Barrier Reef. The port could be constructed for much less than the cost of planned expansions elsewhere. Development of the port would attract investment to the region and create jobs. Sinking a wreck in Hervey Bay would attract divers from around the world, and give our local tourism operators a much needed boost. A bridge over the Burrum River would link the Hinkler electorate's tourism centres, provide an alternative route for critical transport and take pressure off the Bruce Highway. I am proud to be part of a team that understands the benefits infrastructure can bring to regional Australia. Together, over the next ten years, the Abbott and Newman governments will spend $8.5 billion upgrading the ailing Bruce Highway.

I also look forward to this government delivering on its commitment to establish a National Stronger Regions Fund. Councils and community groups will be able to apply for grants for capital works projects that will regenerate the community. Regions with a higher than average unemployment rate, like Hinkler, will be the priority.

Sadly, like so many regional communities, one of Hinkler's greatest exports is its young talent. Hinkler is renowned for its sensational climate, affordable land and comparatively low cost of living. Doctors, nurses and allied health professionals have worked hard to improve the reputation of local health services, to the extent that they have successfully reduced hospital wait times and significantly improved patient outcomes. The region also has some fantastic schools. It really is the ideal place to raise a family. But if we are to hold on to our young people, we need to provide new opportunities: real jobs with real outcomes. Ensuring that our primary producers are appropriately rewarded for their efforts will make our agriculture sector an attractive career prospect once more. We need to give our young people the incentive to undertake a trade. We need to give them a reason to return once they have finished their university studies in the big cities. Our workforce is losing critical skills through a decline in interest and an ageing population. In the past, skills have been learned and passed on. Today, we find ourselves in a situation where we need skilled migration to this country because we simply have not trained enough of our own people.

In Hinkler, aged care is another sector that presents enormous opportunity for young people starting a career in nursing or allied health. As the local population ages and more retirees move to Bundaberg and Hervey Bay to enjoy the lifestyle, the demand for in-the-home care, retirement villages and nursing homes is going to increase. Australians who have already paid their dues, and their taxes, deserve to live out their remaining days with dignity. There is no doubt that this will come at a significant cost to Australian taxpayers, but it is worth remembering that, in constructing these facilities and developing new, innovative models for service delivery, we will be creating jobs for future generations. The business opportunities and economic benefits, both direct and indirect, should not be underestimated.

Through you, Madam Speaker, my message to the young people in my electorate is simple: if my parents can work their way out of poverty through sheer determination, and if I can be here, in this place, representing the people of Hinkler, then you can do anything. You just need to have the will. In my capacity as the federal member for Hinkler, I will do everything I possibly can to give young people hope and opportunity. The Hinkler electorate has afforded me great opportunity, and I want the same for my three young children.

Growing up in the Woongarra district, I was one of four boys who spent every waking moment outdoors, riding motorbikes, playing cricket and fishing. Before leaving home I joined the Bundaberg and the Elliott Heads surf-lifesaving clubs. It concerns me that today Hinkler has some of the highest rates of diabetes and obesity in the nation. People are spending more time indoors on their computer and less time getting some fresh air.

Social media will be the great challenge of this generation. While it presents incredible opportunity, it is complex, far reaching and constant. It can envelop every waking minute, preventing victims of bullying and abuse from getting any respite. Social media's greatest threat is to our children, not because of the medium itself but because you can never be sure who is on the other end. Our challenge as elected members of parliament will be to find the delicate balance between free speech, the right to information and protecting the vulnerable.

My parents, both of whom are here today, blessed me with three gifts, which at the time seemed a lot like punishment but turned out to be some of the greatest things a parent could give to their child. Firstly, they taught me a work ethic. Work was part of life from a young age, whether cutting sleepers in the bush, at home in the vegetable garden or working on machinery. Secondly, they built self-confidence, a belief that you can do anything if you are willing to work hard and pay the price. In my home there was no such word as can't. Kepnock State High School's motto has stayed with me throughout my adult life, and that is that success is earned. And, in third place, there is gratitude and humbleness. It is amazing the difference that a simple thing like braces can make to life, particularly when it is provided at a time when money is more than tight. This type of process was new and the results were uncertain.

I am fortunate to have worked as an apprentice, a tradesman, an engineer and a farmer. I have been an employer and an employee, a worker and a manager, a business owner and a student. I have had many mentors throughout my life, and I thank them profusely because, without the opportunity to learn, you lose your ability to succeed.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my campaign team; party members and supporters; campaign manager, Lenny Fehlhaber; and of course my family: my wife, Allison; son, Liam; and daughters, Ruby and Elisabeth. I am grateful for the support of state MPs Ted Sorensen, Anne Maddern and Stephen Bennett and Minister Jack Dempsey. I have had the absolute privilege to receive advice from two former members for Hinkler, Brian Courtice and Paul Neville, federal members from opposite sides of the House but both concerned for their region and its future.

There is one baton in particular, passed on to me by Mr Neville, which I will pick up. Long Tan legend Lieutenant Colonel Harry Smith is still with us. Through you, Madam Speaker, I give Harry this commitment: we will find a way to recognise his soldiers. As a nation, we are indebted to Harry and to his team. We live our lives in this wonderful country because of their sacrifice. If there is a way to help Harry and his team to return to Long Tan for the 50th anniversary of the battle, I will do my utmost to find it.

Most importantly, I would like to thank the people of Hinkler for putting their faith in me. I will repay their support by putting their interests first. In closing, I would like to recall part of a speech given by former prime minister John McEwen at the opening of John McEwen House in 1968. He said:

It's a fact, a trite truism, that politicians get the limelight. Whether for good or evil they get the limelight. But behind the politicians, in every political party, you will find there is a tremendous mass of loyal, believing people, who stand behind them and whose loyalty and whose confidence gives confidence and a willingness to carry on to the politicians. It is in the days when we are under attack, either as political individuals or as a political party. The day when we are unpopular, when it is the knowledge that we have behind us the believing confidence of thousands of people that gives us the strength to carry on.

Madam Speaker, I stand before you today in the knowledge that I will never stand alone in this place whilst I represent the great people of Hinkler. Thank you.

Honourable members: Hear, hear.

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

Hear, hear. Before I call the honourable member for Batman, I would remind the House that the honourable member is making his maiden speech in this chamber, and we welcome him from another place. I would ask the House to extend to him the courtesies that we have just extended to the previous member.

David Feeney (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker, and I congratulate you on your ascension to that important office.

It is my great honour to rise for the first time in this House as the member for Batman. Being an enthusiast for Australian political history and particularly Labor history, I well appreciate what a privilege and duty it is to represent this constituency. I am the 11th member for Batman since the division was proclaimed in 1906. Only twice in more than 100 years has Batman returned a non-Labor MP to stand in this House. Students of history will know that Sam Benson, a former captain of the Royal Australian Navy and MP for Batman from 1962 to 1969, was re-elected in 1966 as an Independent following his expulsion from the ALP for his refusal to resign from the Defend Australia Committee, a body then proscribed by the ALP national executive. I look forward to this fate not being returned upon me! The division of Batman has remained loyal to Labor because of the essential values of Labor that resonate throughout the diverse communities of the electorate. Labor values around justice, a fair go for all and the continuing task of building a more egalitarian society have an eternal currency in Batman.

Batman is an inner metropolitan electorate in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, largely found between the Darebin and Merri creeks. The suburbs of Batman include Alphington, Croxton, Fairfield, Northcote, Preston, Reservoir, Thornbury, Westgarth and Clifton Hill. The electorate is often described as being diverse, and for very good reason. It has long been home to immigrants to Australia, and today older and established communities of Greek and Italian migrants are joined by newer Australians from Lebanon, China, India and Asia. Nearly half of Batman's population speak a language other than English at home, and some one in 10 are not fluent in English.

I acknowledge the history and contributions of the various communities, migrants and refugees that have settled in Batman and made it their home. Their endeavours have enriched the economic, social, cultural and artistic character of our community and created a cosmopolitan locality where variety and difference are welcomed and encouraged rather than suppressed and shunned. Batman is home to people of diverse races, ethnicities, faiths and beliefs, abilities, talents and aspirations, age and occupations, income and lifestyles. I will cherish this diversity and value it as an important civic asset. I will endeavour to promote, encourage, foster and harness this diversity and encourage an environment in Batman where diversity is celebrated, acknowledged and respected. Our social cohesion must not be taken for granted; rather, it must be defended.

Batman is among the largest and most diverse communities found anywhere in Victoria. With a population of over 136,000, over 52,877 speak a language other than English at home including African, Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Croatian, Italian, Greek and Nepalese.

In considering Batman, one could well characterise the electorate as being a tale of two cities. The northern parts of Batman could be described as possessing the attributes of a traditional Labor electorate, with working people whose priorities for themselves and for their families are better job opportunities, better housing, stronger educational options for their children and support for the aged. A comparatively high number of these people are found in unskilled, low-skilled or traditional blue-collar trades. Many are retired or pensioners. For these Australians—for the most part loyal Labor Party supporters—a key contemporary concern is jobs. The decline of jobs in manufacturing , most notably in the automotive industry, is of great concern. Education and vocational training, the creation of new job opportunities in light manufacturing and the need to grasp new opportunities in new industries are all of critical importance for the people of Batman.

The northern portion of Batman is also home to La Trobe University, the third oldest university in the State of Victoria. La Trobe has been one of Australia's pioneering universities for 40 years, renowned for its excellence in innovation in relation to the big issues of our time. Home to some 34,000 students, La Trobe's founders aspired to create a university that would bring quality tertiary education to the northern suburbs of Melbourne. La Trobe University lives by its mandate and provides access to quality education for those from many disadvantaged communities, transforming the lives of its student and playing an important and leading role in our local community. It is a university which keeps faith with its original mission.

The southern reaches of the electorate of Batman have witnessed significant demographic change over recent years. The proximity of Northcote and its surrounds to Melbourne centre, its amenities and its ambience have all seen housing prices steadily rise. Southern Batman has been marked by the departure of many of its older working-class inhabitants and the influx of new populations of highly educated and high-income people, often young professionals and families. Today, High Street is hip. Political, progressive and informed, the inhabitants of Batman's southern suburbs often have differing priorities from their northern neighbours. Here issues such as action on climate change, the importance of investment in public transport, planning issues and fair treatment of asylum seekers often take the fore. But here, too, Labor's values and record of achievement resonate powerfully. Labor is the party of justice, the party which has consistently sought and delivered action on climate change, the party which is now opposing the flamboyant $8 billion east-west tunnel of Premier Napthine and instead is seeking meaningful transport solutions for our community.

I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor, the Hon. Martin Ferguson, former member for Batman. He was and is a giant of the ALP and of the wider Labor movement. A former ACTU president and a Labor frontbencher from the moment he arrived in this place in 1996, Martin played a central role in the restructuring of the economy in the 1980s and 1990s, championing the accord between government and the ACTU and sharing in the accomplishment of rises in family payments targeted to low-income earners, higher school retention rates, compulsory superannuation and the proper vocational training for our unemployed. Later, as Minister for Resources and Energy and Minister for Tourism, Martin was justifiably proud of his record in micro-economic reform, in facilitating the biggest pipeline of investment ever seen in Australia, of Tourism 2020 and an expanding tourism market for Australia in Asia.

Perhaps less well known in this place, Martin also enjoyed an unrivalled reputation as a local MP. As I have visited schools, childcare centres, churches and community groups throughout my electorate, I have consistently found that he was very highly regarded, well known and respected. As the MP for Batman he was no absentee landlord, but rather an active and passionate local member, connected to his electorate and its diversities. They are big shoes to fill and I shall continue to rely upon his counsel.

I had the honour of serving as a senator for Victoria from July 2008 until the September general election. For that reason, this might be said to be my second first speech. I have in recent days carefully re-read my first speech, as you might imagine, and the sentiments, content and heartfelt thanks found therein are as relevant for me today as they were when first articulated in 2008. That is why I am taking the liberty in this speech and on this occasion of talking about my particular interest, my policy passion if you will, which is Australia's defence and national security. My interest in defence and national security policy is longstanding. For those who have known me a long time—and many here meet that qualification including old university friends Bill Shorten, Richard Marles and Bernie Ripoll—this policy area has always held my keenest interest. For this reason, my appointment as Parliamentary Secretary for Defence in September 2010 was a particular joy for me.

Newspoll regularly asks the question: which one of the ALP, coalition or someone else do you think would best handle the issue of defence? Typically the coalition has outperformed Labor on this poll measure by around two to one, bearing out the fact that it is a truism that the conservative side of politics enjoys defence credentials of what might be described as a brand attribute. Only in the years 2008 and 2009, in recent times, did the coalition and Labor enjoy parity on this measure. Yet, the coalition is defence lazy. The simplistic notion that right-wing parties will always be stronger on national security policy does not bear scrutiny. The notion that the coalition is strong on defence policy actually emboldens the coalition to do little or nothing. In recent times we have seen the coalition use its defence credentials to avoid articulating any meaningful defence policy and to avoid presenting detailed or even coherent defence policies. Instead, the coalition has followed Labor in supporting Force 2030, has followed Labor in aspiring for a defence budget of two per cent of GDP and has followed Labor in supporting a maritime strategy for Australia's national defence.

The Australian Labor Party has always been the party of defence and national security. There are powerful reasons why Labor is and remains the political party best able to manage the national security interests of our nation. The ALP has always conceived most clearly Australia's place in the world. The ALP has always been a party of internationalists. This was true in 1942 and it is true today.

It is Labor that perceives Australia as a free, independent, middle power with a free, independent foreign policy. Australia's interest is to promote a rules based world order marked by multilateralism and by ever-strengthening international and humanitarian law—nations operating in a rules based system. It is in this way that the great crises and tragedies of mankind's greatest century of violence, the 20th century, can be avoided and never repeated. This is why Labor politicians were found playing a leadership role in the formation of the UN. It is Labor that conceives of Australia as a self-reliant nation. It is for these reasons that Labor has always supported Australia's possessing a strong and capable Australian Defence Force, one that is capable of acting independently and effectively across the threat spectrum in support of our unique national interests, our freedom and our ability to work multilaterally with our friends and allies to protect and defend critical sea lanes and the global commons that support our extensive trade—a defence force that gives substance to our claim to be a middle power. Labor has never envisaged Australia or its defence forces as mere auxiliaries for other nations and other interests. It is Labor that conceived of Australia as a member of the UN Security Council rather than as a mere deputy sheriff.

The A in ALP—Australian—is a signpost to the strong vein of patriotism and national identity that is found in Labor's DNA. We are a party that pride ourselves on our history. No other Australian political party celebrates its history as we do. For over a century it has been Labor that has built the institutions and values that today form such a central place in the Australian identity—the fair go at work, Medicare, the age pension and enshrining the notion that there should be equality of opportunity for every Australian. So too does the ALP celebrate its successful history in the field of defence policy. It was Labor politicians who ensured the Royal Australian Navy had the capability and wherewithal in 1914 to dominate the South Pacific and sweep German colonial power from our own region. It was Labor that provided the leadership of Australia during the darkest days of World War II. It was Prime Minister Curtin who moved Australia into close alliance with the United States of America. And it was Labor that brought Australian soldiers back from the Middle East to confront the threat of Imperial Japan in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific. It was destined to be the ALP that most clearly saw our nation's path in 1942.

So it is today. At a time when long-held assumptions about national security are changing and the rise of China is changing forever relations between the nations of the Indo-Pacific it is Labor that is focused on reshaping our alliance with the US, on maintaining Australia's edge in our neighbourhood and on strengthening multilateral institutions in our own region. It is no mere accident of history that it was Labor that recognised the People's Republic of China in 1972. Nor is it an accident of history that only in recent times have we seen Labor further strengthen our relationship with China. Labor's capacity to navigate Australia through changing international environments is longstanding and remains one of the great attributes of our party. Every nation as it forges its identity and its character looks to formative events in its history. The War of Independence and the Civil War are central to understanding the contemporary US and its values and mores. For the United Kingdom it is its history as an empire upon which the sun never set. For France it is the French Revolution, Napoleon and the bloody sacrifice of World War I. So it is for Australia: for our young nation and our story of how we evolved from a collection of colonies into an ever more confident nation, the Anzac legend has always held pride of place in the formation of our national identity. Of course, militarily, Gallipoli was a defeat, perhaps even a fiasco. Yet, as a campaign it is sacred for us. The reason for that is not its military accomplishments, but rather what the sacrifice of our soldiers meant and came to mean. The crucible of war has always played a central role in forming our Australian identity. The Anzacs at Gallipoli and later the soldiers, sailors and airmen of Tobruk, Milne Bay, Kokoda, Long Tan, Tarin Kowt and innumerable other places all embody our cultural notions of mateship, larrikinism, independence, practical ingenuity and self reliance. The Australian Defence Force is a uniquely Australian institution. Australians take great pride in its history, instincts and values and in the loyalty and sacrifice of its people.

From the moment that Martin Ferguson announced his retirement from this place on 28 May 2013 my life has been a blur. The process of an ALP preselection immediately followed by the federal election in September meant that I found myself confronting in very quick succession innumerable challenges.

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

In meeting those challenges—and defying the recalcitrance of my colleagues—I relied upon the friendship, dedication and acumen of innumerable friends, both old and new. Of course, firstly I would like to acknowledge Martin Ferguson. His enthusiasm for my candidacy and outspoken support for me was powerful, and I will be ever thankful for it. It is also true to say that Batman has a Robin. Robin Scott MP, the member for Preston, has always been a source of great support and counsel for me. So too has Nazih Elasmar MLC, the member for Melbourne north province. I also acknowledge Fiona Richardson, the MP for Northcote, and her husband Stephen Newnham. There are many local ALP activists upon whose support, efforts and insights I will continue to rely, including Alison Donohue; Dr Stanley Chang, local GP and Chinese community leader; Andy Mylonas and his daughter Ana Sarakinis; Adele McBride; Peter Putnam and Matt Candelars. They are all emblematic of a thriving ALP community, whose member I have the great prestige and honour of being here in this place.

As everyone here knows, we come to rely upon our staff enormously. They form, if you will, our Canberra family. I take this opportunity to acknowledge them and the work they have done for me in recent times: Ben Maxfield, who also worked as my campaign director in the recent Batman election; Dee Chakhur; Jeffrey von Drennen; Hiam Elasmar; Bella Mentor; Lloyd Toffolon; George Macris; Adam Reid; and Isabelle Kingshott. These folk have put in enormous amounts of effort for me, and several of them continue to do so. I am eternally grateful to them for their loyalty and for their effort. I also acknowledge the work of Laura Wood, who has recently joined me from the Department of Defence, having worked for me previously as a departmental liaison officer. I look forward to meeting my shadow ministerial challenges with her advice and counsel.

Lastly, I acknowledge my family. As I said in my first first speech, my family have always been a source of great strength and inspiration to me. I am blessed in the sense that I have always enjoyed the support and love of a loving family. Can I thank again my parents, Basil and Margaret Varghese and Ian and Lyn Feeney. I am blessed, Deputy Speaker, with four parents, all of whom love me and all of whom have provided me with great strength. Can I acknowledge my wife Liberty Sanger—an extraordinary woman, an inspiring woman. I said before and I say again, her marrying me is the greatest honour ever bestowed upon me and it will ever remain thus.

Mal Brough (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I have spoken here a few times before but I would be very grateful if everybody would behave themselves anyway—it would be a nice change. I congratulate you on your election to this office and the Speaker, Madam Speaker, and the Deputy Speaker who has just vacated the chair. You have a very important role in this place, and I wish you all the very best with fulfilling that responsibility. We saw yesterday some of those challenges, and I am sure there will be more to come in the days ahead. Part of that challenge falls to all of us, the 150 members of this the 44th Parliament. It is not good enough for us to blame the Speaker for lack of order in this place. We are all very honoured to be here and we need to honour that position by our actions and our deeds in this place. I do not think there would be one member of this parliament, new or returning, that has not been accosted in the street by a member of the community or a party member lamenting the standards in this House. It is up to all of us in what we do from this moment on to determine whether or not we can raise that standard. I commit myself to playing my role in ensuring the standards are improved.

I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate all the members who are joining this parliament, the 44th, for the very first time. I have been listening to a number of those maiden speeches and what a diverse group of people are joining the 44th parliament. Winston Churchill once said that:

democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.

If democracy can bring to us and our parliament the passion, the diversity, the experience of life that we have heard in the last day and a half democracy has served us well. I want to make one brief comment about one particular member, the member for Bass. His life story and mine started in a very similar way. We both joined the army at 17; both joined the Royal Australian Regiment. Six months before I went to Officer Cadet School Portsea, he did. He was my senior class man 32 years ago. The motto of the Officer Cadet School Portsea, which is now lamentably gone, was 'Loyalty and Service'. I think it is a wonderful motto for this place: loyalty to our country and service to its people. If we keep that uppermost in our minds, then Australia will be in good hands, regardless of what side of this chamber we sit on and regardless of our political persuasion.

I would also like to acknowledge a very select group of people that I join by coming back to this place on this occasion: the member for Leichhardt, the member for Brisbane, the members for Paterson, Bonner, Canning, La Trobe and Macmillan all have that very special honour of not just coming to this place, but returning to this place. I am very honoured to join them as one of those few who having either, like the member for Leichhardt, through his own choice left or, in my case, being invited to leave by my constituents of having the opportunity to come back and work on behalf of the Australian population.

It was not an easy decision to come back, and again the member for Leichhardt was instrumental in that and I pay tribute to him. In fact, he almost stalked me at times, encouraging me to rejoin the LNP after the amalgamation of the Liberal and National Parties. I want to thank him for having the trust and the faith in believing that I had a role to fulfil in public life beyond 2007. I also thank the Prime Minister for his words of encouragement over that time and also for his will to see me become a part of this place. Someone who I will speak about a little more further down the track, my wife, was certainly the biggest influence in me coming back. Some honourable members here will probably find that somewhat of a surprise that my wife would have wanted me to return, but I will explain a little more further down the track.

My role in this place as the first new face in the seat of Fisher for 20 years is to earn the trust and the respect of the public. That is what I put forward when I put my hand up for preselect ion for the LNP; that was the core of my message to the people of Fisher and it will remain so as long as I am in this place. That is an ongoing responsibility that we all have—the trust and responsibility of us in this place and in our electorates. I will be visible; I will be accessible. I am first and foremost a private member of parliament, which means my responsibility is to the people of Fisher—the people who put me here and who deserve to have me fight on their behalf. I am joined by the Minister for Small Business. He and I came into this place in 1996 and I am sure we would agree on one thing and that is that the former member for Gilmore was one of the most formidable backbenchers and private members of parliament has ever known. I aspire to put the wind up ministers in the way she put it up me and she put it up other ministers in fighting for her constituents. The minister reminds me that I have already done that with some success and thank you for passing me that compliment.

On a serious note, the people of Fisher have paid me this great honour and I feel blessed every day to live on the Sunshine Coast. It is a truly wonderful place—not just the environment, but it is also a caring community. This is a giving community and to be part of that is to be part of something very special. The volunteering ethos of the Sunshine Coast is embodied in the life-saving clubs that stretch from Alexandra Headland down to Caloundra. They are the embodiment because they are there in their very uniquely Australian outfits every weekend of the summer and the spring protecting our beaches and making our tourists safe.

But whether it is the young or the old, the veterans community or the environmental groups, our community strives for success on the back of volunteers and the strength of the people in the community. Being an ex-soldier, the veterans community is dear to my heart and I have always been very close to them. Today we are now seeing for the first time young veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan in particular. I was privileged to meet one the other day who is disabled because of frostbite of the toes. He is fighting to get his pension while trying to get his education back. I met him at the Mooloolaba Surf Club on a Thursday morning with a bunch of Vietnam veterans—it was wonderful but they were inviting another veteran from another era to share their stories, their troubles, their aspirations and their hopes. Just being there together, in an informal setting, said so much about mateship, which underpins our society and underpins our Defence Force.

We also have a lot of young caring people in our electorates. I am sure we all do. I went to the Chancellor State College the other day, having received two letters from two young year 7 students—Chloe and Hannah. I hope they read this. Today the Minister for the Environment introduced a bill into this House about protecting green turtles. That is what they wrote to me about. They wanted to see what they could do—not just what the government could do but what they could do as well. These young people deserve not only every bit of praise but also every bit of assistance so that they can benefit our community and our environment. This speaks volumes of the caring community that I am so privileged to be part of.

Unfortunately our community has been hit pretty hard in the last few years. We have so heavily relied on the construction industry—new housing—and tourism. They have both been hit. They have been hit because of economic conditions but they have also been hit by the decisions made by the previous Labor government. The Minister for Small Business, when he was shadow minister, came to Alexandra Headland and stated this incredible figure: 21,000 new and amended regulations impacting upon our society. You wonder why people complain. All business is asking is for us to get out of the way. That is not much for us to do. The challenge for the Minister for Small Business and the executive is to get the opposition to work with us to peel back some of this unnecessary regulation which puts barriers in the way of businesses and prevents them from making profits and employing other Australians. That is our role.

The first debate in this parliament was the carbon tax. We are going to hear about the highfaluting, high-level, macro-economic picture but let me bring you down to the grassroots. Let us talk about a bloke who makes his living going out to sea and catching prawns. These boats rattle and roll, and they have to have on them the highest quality refrigeration you can get. When those units leak, instead of it costing a few hundred dollars or maybe $1,000 to replace the gas, it now costs $8,000—in one case $20,000. I ask members opposite where does that money come from? These people do not have overdrafts for that sort of money. It tears families apart. There is the IGA owner who, through no fault of their own, having increased their maintenance and done everything they possibly could, finds that their refrigeration gases have escaped and they have to find these extraordinary amounts of money which just are not there. Is it Maleny Dairies, or the butcher's? They are all in the same boat. These are consequences of a policy that was not thought through and that has deep and lasting impacts not only on the people in those businesses but also on their ability to employ their fellow Australians. It has hurt our community. But it can stop. The decision was taken on 7 December to have it stopped. All we ask is for those opposite to respect the decision of the Australian population on that day and fast track those decisions.

There are many very innovative businesses on the coast that despite the hardships, despite the downturn, have succeeded. These are the champions of the coast; these are the people who not only give of themselves by putting their hard earned dollars into their businesses and innovate and employ but also give back to their community through various not-for-profit organisations. There are organisations that some of you know well, like Australia Zoo. I was privileged to know Steve Irwin as a friend, and his wife Terri today continues to send the animal welfare message and the message of Australian tourism to the world. She is now doing that through Bob and Bindi. There is the Big Kart Track, with Ferre. It continues to grow because he innovates. There is Aussie World, with David Thompson. These are tourism operators who have gone against the norm and are succeeding where others are failing. We have nationally award winning accommodation houses. We have Mark and Jo Skinner, from Narrows Escape. These are people who are reaching out to the world and bringing European visitors to the Sunshine Coast, not just taking the drive trade. That takes guts. They have got what it takes and they have a product that the world wants.

There is Bassett Barks. Would you be aware, Mr Deputy Speaker, that we export compost from the Sunshine Coast? We export compost to the world—some of the best that there is. There are these little secret gems that no-one knows about. Some people might think some of that compost is coming from me today! Sue Joseph has done that, and Sue and her family are another important part of the fabric of the coast. There is Hall Contracting, who have worked in Fiji and are now reaching out to Malaysia and Indonesia to extend our capacity in those parts of the world. When people tell me that manufacturing is dead, they are wrong. The Budden family invested several million dollars recently in off-road campers. They produce almost every single component of these world-class campers at Caloundra. They do not get the seats and the fabrication done in a sweat shop; it is done in Caloundra. They employ 70 tradespeople. It can be done. When you talk to Steve, he will tell you about the challenges that politicians have imposed. If we want businesses to grow and to succeed, we need to get out of their way.

Let me turn to a few broader issues that are also local. I have a great belief that part of this nation's future is in primary production. It is not a 'nice to have'; it is a 'must have'. When dairy deregulation came to the coast it hurt us badly, but certain operators grasped the opportunity and changed direction, like Maleny Dairies. I believe that if you go into some places in Melbourne today, they will tell you that you can have your cappuccino with Maleny milk—and they are right; it is special. The Hopper family have combined tourism and a quality product. They have kept eight dairies going and they have employed 40 direct jobs. Another offshoot is a Swiss family who came to Australia as premier cheese makers and established Maleny Cheese. Sara and Markus employ 30 people and keep another six dairies going. We probably would not have a dairy industry on the Sunshine Coast if it were not for these innovative people investing their own money.

Let me turn to another diverse industry. The last time I stood in this place was six years ago, but let me go back to 1996. If I had talked about the pineapple industry then it would have been that it was on its knees, that Golden Circle was on the way down, that the plant was closing. Today, Murray Pike and the Pike family will tell you that unlike most parts of the industry where the average age of the farmer is 60-plus in the pineapple industry on the Sunshine Coast the average age is now the mid-30s. He has never known better times because they grasped the opportunity to plant new pineapples, to embrace the fresh food market, to go away from practices of the past and they have made their own way. It can be done but, again, it needs our support. It needs our support at the borders so that we do not import infestations into this country that can decimate our industries and it needs our support with Austrade to make sure that we push our product overseas and we create new opportunities. They have done their bit; it is now up to us to do our bit.

To other national issues. To the credit of the Labor Party they introduced the NDIS. It is now going to be up to both sides of this House, without politics, to get this right. There are far too many of our fellow Australians who live with or have someone whom they live with who has a disability. They deserve better than this country has given them in the past. The NDIS is an opportunity and it is an idea that now needs to have substance put behind it. It is going to require an enormous amount of hard work and I pledge myself to being part of making sure that it delivers the promise that so many people have asked for.

To the challenges of broadband. It is a necessity. It is going to be crucial. The data era will offer opportunities and jobs for places like the coast. We can consider having some of our bureaucrats, state and federal, working from home, part time, full-time, in the regions, decentralising our workforce and taking away some of the congestion issues because we will have the data capacity. Labor said we would have broadband in 2013, yet not one house on the Sunshine Coast has got it. Today, I stand here and say that the minister has said we will have it by 2016 and I will hold him to account. I will hold our side to account as I wished the Labor Party had held their side to account. Too many businesses needed to make decisions and those decisions were built on a lie. We cannot do that. To get confidence back into the business community, we must deliver.

I mentioned veterans. It is going to be an ongoing challenge for us to meet the needs of our latest veterans. We have good people like Gary Phillips of the Sons of Anzacs. We have the centenary in 2015 of the landing at Gallipoli. But it is also the 50th anniversary of the deployment of the Australian task force to Vietnam and that is equally as important, and we must acknowledge that in an appropriate way. We have the lads from the Vietnam veterans at the Mooloolaba surf club and we have Tony Dell, who promotes the debilitating impacts of PTSD through his Stand Tall initiative.

Before my time elapses, a couple more issues and first off is Indigenous affairs. This is something that was dear to my heart when I was the minister and it remains so today. Some very important steps have been taken and there are some very important steps to come. But we have still failed our First Australians. There are still far too many of them who do not have the basic rights that we enjoy. It is the responsibility of every Australian and the 150 people who sit in this place and those in the other place to ensure that we do not just close the gap in some time line and just set reports but that we change lives, we give opportunities and we do it now. I commit myself and I commend you all to doing just that.

Finally, some thankyous. Like all of you, you do not get here on your own and mine was a rough road to get here. I want to thank my party, my campaign team, my party membership and the 450 army of supporters who believed in what I believed in and a better way for the Sunshine Coast. All of them are important to me and to all of them I owe a debt of gratitude. To my family: when I first stood in here I had a family of three—Thomas, James and Sarah. They were all primary school children. Today, they are all adults. I have grown that family. I have a daughter-in-law, Tennille, and I welcome her to the family. And I now have young Trey, our first grandson. To my wife: thank you for your passion, your dedication and your commitment to public life, and for letting me come back to this place to play a role in Australia's future. I love you. I respect you. I will continue to do what I can with you on behalf of our community for Australia. I thank the deputy speaker.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Fisher. Before I call the honourable member for Scullin, I remind the House that this is the honourable member's first speech and I ask that the usual courtesies be extended to him.

Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am so pleased that I am receiving the call from you, Deputy Speaker Mitchell, my neighbour and friend. I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and I pay my respects to elders past and present. My thoughts now are also with the traditional owners of the land I represent in this parliament. It is an honour and a very great privilege to be in this place. I thank the electors of Scullin for their belief that I can represent their concerns.

The Scullin electorate speaks to me of Melbourne's diversity. Over 37 languages are spoken at homes in Scullin. The multiculturalism of Melbourne's north is a tremendous strength and is characterised by a great interest across cultures and traditions as well as pride in particular heritage. I particularly thank the hundreds of ALP members and the many volunteers who did so much to keep Scullin proudly Labor at the last election, especially the hardworking members of the campaign committee chaired by the formidable Maureen Corrigan.

I am proud to be the fourth member for Scullin, and that I carry on a strong Labor tradition in Melbourne's north. I propose to do all that I can to keep it that way. The electorate remembers a great Australian, James Scullin—Prime Minister in difficult times, of course, but much more than that. He was a man who foresaw the Great Depression and who continued to make a selfless contribution to our country and the Labor cause long after he left high office.

My predecessor, Harry Jenkins, has left big shoes to fill, as I am all too often told! I do not propose to fill them; Harry remains a one-off. But I shall be very proud if I can bring to this role some of the qualities he always displayed: a great love and respect for community, for our party and for this parliament. It can be said that, in holding public office, Harry genuinely built public trust. I am, and always will be, grateful for his support and guidance. Harry succeeded his father, Dr Harry Jenkins, whose presence is everywhere across Melbourne's north. It is a wonderful legacy of extraordinary service as a community activist, as a local GP and as a state and then a federal representative. How often constituents remind me of 'Dr Harry' speaks to his impact so many years after he retired. I feel an affinity with Ted Peters, as he and I bookend 44 years of representation by Harry Jenkinses. Ted Peters became the member for Scullin at the time of 'the split'. He stayed the course with Labor when that must have been very hard for him to do.

That I come to be here is the result of the efforts of many, many people who have shaped my life's course—too many to properly acknowledge here. But it is important that I make some acknowledgement of some critical contributions. I am very fortunate to have been born to my parents and in the circumstances of my birth. To Richard and Vee I owe everything—so many opportunities and extraordinary love and support. I am so pleased that you are here today. I am even more pleased that my brother Ed can be here, away from work and family in London. In every measure but that of time he is my older brother, and he is certainly much the wiser. Jill Constable is my wife and my best friend. I do not have the words to do justice to her or our relationship, much less what she means to me. I can only say this: thank you for everything. Whatever I achieve in this role will be as nothing against family life with Jill and our beautiful young children, Daniel and Alice. The extended Constable and Garratt families, and most especially Joyce and Jo, have overwhelmed me with generosity and always made me feel as if I were one of them. I am terribly sad that Cec, my father-in-law, is no longer with us. This would have meant a lot to him, and that means the world to me.

Harry Truman famously advised that those of us looking for friendship in politics should get ourselves a dog. My experience over 23 years in the Labor Party has been very different—well, most of the time. There is no doubt that the friendship and support of so many in the Labor movement has enriched my life. I will not forget that I stand here for you. I am so pleased to be here with good friends and mentors, including the member for Jagajaga and the member for Bruce, and I am thinking of all the activists that I work with and have worked with—people with big hearts and clear eyes, typified by my friend Paul Erickson.

In my working life, I have also been fortunate. As a lawyer, I worked for two great firms, Holding Redlich and Slater & Gordon. Peter Redlich and David Shaw, in particular, taught me so much about the law, justice and life. It is wonderful to have former colleagues Andrea Tsalamandris, Cain Jackson and my great friend Toby Hemming here today. As a lawyer, I saw myself as first a listener and then a problem solver. I hope to build on that approach while I am here. Acting on behalf of the asylum seekers on board the MV Tampa set firm my resolve to be heard in public life, to stand here for those denied the chance to speak for themselves, to ensure that this parliament is the first and the best safeguard for the standards of a genuinely democratic and decent community.

The opportunities that I have had to work in politics have brought me much satisfaction as well as a deeper understanding of the possibilities of government. Working for Lily D'Ambrosio and Gavin Jennings was a privilege, and I learnt much from them—two politicians, two people I admire, two friends. Lily is also a local state member, along with Danielle Green, Bronwyn Halfpenny and Colin Brooks. I am so pleased to be able to work with all of them for our communities. I owe a debt of gratitude to Lindsay Tanner, the person who taught me so much about politics, practically and intellectually, and led me to imagine I might be able to make a contribution.

I am very proud to be a unionist, especially a member of the Australian Services Union. I am thankful for the support I have received from many unions throughout my involvement. It is of great importance to me that I thank and acknowledge my staff: Sally-Ann Delaney, Lori Faraone, Paul Frayne, Jim Tilkeridis, Justin Mammarella and Damian Apolloni. You all do wonderful work. Working alongside you means much to me and I hope to do justice to your support.

I have been elected to represent the people of Scullin. To me, this means being both a local advocate and a contributor to wider debate. Across Melbourne's north, Scullin encompasses Wollert to Thomastown to Hurstbridge, comprising a journey across many aspects of our culture, as well as geography. It combines long established suburbs like Watsonia North, green wedge communities such as Yarrambat, and dynamic centres of new growth in Epping North and South Morang—all different communities, united as outer suburban areas of Melbourne's north. They are great places to live and to work, but they are facing some significant challenges that must be addressed. Outer suburban communities both deserve and require the attention of our national government. We cannot allow Melbourne to become a city of two halves, with jobs and prosperity pulled to the centre. I am proud that Labor took a cities policy to the last election, continuing a tradition that goes back to Whitlam and Uren through, of course, Brian Howe, maintaining and advancing a principle of government that all Australians deserve fair access to services, no matter where they live. Grassroots activists across Scullin, such as the Aurora Community Association, are doing great work speaking up for liveability. I look forward to supporting their work of building community in growing communities.

The reasons that people have come to live in these communities are many and varied. We celebrate a rich and vibrant Indigenous heritage and welcome newly arriving communities, including many who have escaped oppression. There is, right across the Scullin electorate, a great sense of pride in place. But within the electorate there is also significant disadvantage and some emerging social problems. I am deeply concerned about the prevalence of family violence and the rates of mental health issues affecting young people. We must do more to address these epidemics whilst never losing sight of the need to tackle their root causes. A November 2012 VicHealth report highlighted the social as well as health problems associated with long commutes. The relationship between where we live and where we work is a vital one. Most people in Scullin travel some way outside the electorate for work. And right across Scullin, urgent investment is required to support our transport infrastructure—in particular, public transport.

This government's refusal to support urban rail projects will hurt families in Melbourne's north. And just as the provision of infrastructure impacts how we live, so too economic policies more generally carry with them social consequences. Gideon Haigh, in the Age yesterday, reminded me of this. He is in my view correct to write that we must also judge the policy decisions and choices we make by those consequences 'if we wish to live in a society rather than simply fit into an economy'. And let me be clear: I wish to live in a society.

It was heartbreaking to recently hear that 123 workers will lose their jobs at Golden Circle in Mill Park. Thousands of families in Scullin work in manufacturing, and they deserve a government that values and supports their jobs. Beyond manufacturing, more needs to be done to support employment in Melbourne's north. There are some great opportunities, such as the Melbourne market relocation, an important work being done by local governments to promote the northern suburbs as a distinct regional economy. I look forward to supporting this work, to building partnerships and working to realise the possibilities of this dynamic region, a place with so many natural advantages but also extraordinary people.

I am proud of the work of the governments led by Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. I will be heard in defence of their legacy and in support of Labor's reformist mission. Our recent reforms—education funding, carbon pricing, the NBN, DisabilityCare—are not just stand-alone policies; they will be enduring elements of the fabric of Australia's social democracy.

Like many others on this side of the chamber, I continue to be inspired by Ben Chifley's `light on the hill' speech, not as a historical curiosity but as a call to arms for a movement of change—a call to dream large. It fills me with confidence that Labor's best days are ahead of us. It is also, to me, an enduring warning against the trap of mistaking means for ends. Labor is not just about putting more income in workers' pockets or electing politicians to this place; it is about creating for our citizens a sense of belonging, of security and of hope. I fear this trap has become easier to fall into over the last 60 years. When Chifley spoke in 1949 he was responding to the challenges of a rapidly changing world. It is incredible to think how much has changed since then. Australia has been reshaped. We are open to the world and are a genuinely multicultural nation. We have recognised that we cannot ignore the talents of half our population and have begun to properly acknowledge Indigenous Australians. We are more prosperous, better informed and living longer. In the last six years we made great advances. But Labor's work is far from done.

When I think of the light on the hill, I think of a more equal society. We are, most of us, quick to claim fairness, I think, as a national characteristic and a national virtue. And this is a good thing. I am all for fairness. But I am concerned to advance equality. The question is: should we ever subject a person to lesser treatment or deny anyone a right because of who they are? To me, the answer must always be a resounding no. If marriage is a right granted by the state, it must be granted to all—as it will be, I am sure, not because this is somehow inevitable but because of the power of people coming together in a just cause, as Australians have done so often to change the way we live, through trade unions, through social movements and through the work of the Australian Labor Party, and as we will do, to complete our Constitution, if I may borrow the Prime Minister's words, through recognising our Indigenous peoples and when we have an Australian head of state.

There is no more important consideration for anyone who seeks to engage in this process of change than what values they bring to bear in their participation in our national conversation. This is particularly important for those of us who find ourselves on the opposition benches, I believe. Why does being out of power matter? What are our objectives when we seek to gain power for working people and the vulnerable? What are the ideas and policies that we will seek to build public support for over the coming years? We should not be afraid of asking ourselves these questions. For me they speak to the essence of what it means to approach politics from a progressive perspective—to ask whether we are doing everything we can to deliver a fair and just society and, where we are not, to ask ourselves what is to be done.

Harry Jenkins's first and last speeches both invoked James Scullin's epitaph: 'Justice and humanity demand interference whenever the weak are being crushed by the strong.' This injunction is worth repeating. It speaks to a higher calling in politics and to the possibilities of government. It lends a moral imperative to the role I have now. Those of us with the power to act must do so: to stand with constituents and support them in working through the problems they face every day, reaching out to make sure I am listening to all the voices within the electorate, not just the loudest; to stand up for compassion, justice and equality, knowing that this will not always be an immediately popular cause; to play my part in expanding trust in our great democracy and our political processes; and to make sure there is a real conversation in the community about political issues that genuinely informs representation—a dialogue that is respectful, mature and responsive. We must be prepared to listen and to have the arguments over solutions to the challenges we face.

For the many to have power against the few, they must have faith in collective institutions. However, it appears that faith is waning. Fewer young people are enrolling to vote, and more voters are, it seems, deliberately casting informal ballots. As I see it, this frustration with politics rests on a sense of alienation. One thing that is becoming increasingly clear is that the more insecure someone's working life is, the less likely they are to have faith in our political institutions and our traditions. To rebuild faith we must show leadership and instil confidence that this institution is a place where positive change is made, a place where hope is stronger than fear, as we heard last night.

And there are grounds for optimism; I am seeing it at a local level. I think of the Whittlesea Community Connections AGM last Sunday—a room filled with community activists sharing their stories, celebrating wins and planning the year ahead. I think of the young man I met doorknocking in North Epping, just devastated that his citizenship would be confirmed only after the election, meaning he would not be voting, but determined to make his contribution. And I think of the hundreds of Labor members in Scullin, from life members to those in Young Labor—of their selfless work in the cause of a more equal society. We must harness this optimism, and reject cynicism—including the all-too-pervasive sense that politics is just a form of combat sport or light entertainment. The buck stops here, of course.

It was extraordinary to be in this chamber last night and to hear the contributions from and about the member for Griffith. It was this parliament at its best, I believe. I am resolved to do whatever I can to present myself in the manner described last night, which is to tie together the optimism in the community to the representative politics that we are all part of. I want to persuade more people to vote Labor, of course, but I also want to do all I can to build our party as a movement of change. A larger, more open Labor Party of ideas will be, I am sure, a foundation stone for a stronger, more inclusive Australian democracy.

I am excited that in the UK, Labour's Ed Miliband is speaking of a race to the top. To me, this means a drive towards a more equal society where everyone has every opportunity to achieve their potential. It is a powerful idea and a powerful reminder that ideas are at least as important as issues. As a society the right policy settings to secure jobs and growth are vital, but so is our storytelling or our sense of purpose about where we are going, how and why. If we can articulate our goals, build a shared sense of hope in this task, and if we can realise the great powers of government, this is a race that Australia can win.

Today, across Western democracies the very idea of government is under attack, directly through the work of the Tea Party and its supporters and more obliquely by the adherents of the misleadingly named Big Society. Both camps, it appears, are found in the present government. This government apparently believes that it should do for people what they cannot do, or cannot do efficiently for themselves, but no more. What a narrow and defensive view of our collective capacity! I reject this formulation and will do my best to articulate a more positive vision of government for the future. I am in no doubt that we, the progressives, do have the better side of this argument about government. That the conservatives only discovered the courage of their convictions after the election speaks volumes to this.

We must be bolder in making the case for government. We can refresh and reframe social democracy through applying first principles to the issues of today and tomorrow. What can and should government do to help make a good society? And how can we, collectively, do more to help each other lead fulfilling lives?

In this speech I have touched on three issues—the fight for equality; rebuilding a sense of hope in formal politics; and defending an active role for government. These are the concerns of the moment. They relate closely to the questions before this parliament and to my sense of how Labor should respond and rebuild as we hold this government to account. I believe them to be enduring and propose to be consistent while I am here in making the case for a more equal society through building collective capacity in the actions of Labor governments to come. The issues of the day that dominate political conversation will no doubt change. Direct Action will, of course, soon be forgotten, but Labor's purpose and our story will continue. For my part I hope to be held accountable as an effective advocate for this sense of what politics can be and what we can achieve together.

I started this contribution by talking of the honour and the privilege it is to be here, which is what representing the people of Scullin in Australia's parliament means to me. But what really matters, of course, is what this might mean to others. It is a rare and extraordinary opportunity we here are collectively given in this place. We are enabled to speak up for others and to play a role in changing the circumstances under which they live their lives. Hopefully, we will expand opportunities and give more people a sense of hope, of agency, and of being full members of just, sustainable and equitable society.

I hope to be judged on whether I seize this opportunity and make a difference. I thank honourable members.

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I congratulate the previous speaker and, in fact, all the new members that have shared their ambitions and aspirations for the important role and responsibility they carry as a member of this House. Admittedly I might not agree with all of the sentiments but I respect the fact that within all of us there is a sparkle in our eye and a fire in our belly to do some good for our community, our country, and the more of that the better. So, congratulations and welcome to all the new members.

I did have cause to reflect on my first speech—this is not it—which was some 17½ years ago, some seven elections ago. I was reminded of the Australian cricket team where each newbie to the team gets given a number to reflect their selection. Apparently I am No. 892 in terms of my election to this House. It does remind all of us that it is a rare privilege and an extraordinary honour and opportunity to be a part of this legislature. I would imagine there is probably not more than 1,100 members that have been elected to this chamber since Federation, and it reminds us all of the hallowed place we are in and of our duty to do good and worthwhile things whilst we are afforded that opportunity.

I have been reafforded that opportunity by the good folks of Dunkley in choosing to have me again as their elected representative. I am not mistaking that as some adulation of the Liberal candidate. My community would not be characterised as a Liberal community. I see it is as a renewal of my contract, a belief that I am handy to have around, and to work effectively and collaboratively with the community. I have been given the opportunity by thankfully a few more votes than the last election, when it was a close-run thing, to be returned to this place. It did remind me, though, of what brought me here and the passion and the drive that led me to choose the calling of public life. I look back on what I said as some of my goals and reflected on my journey to this place 17½ years ago. There are not too many boys who went to school in the Pines that ended up in the nation's parliament.

Mr Frydenberg interjecting—

Yes, thank you, my friend, the member for Kooyong, for making a useful contribution there. Thankfully he was not suggesting that I was too short to be a hood or a roughnut and had to do something else with my life, but here I am. What inspired my effort was to try to communicate to all in the community I represent that your postcode does not determine your potential. We all have the capacity to learn, to grow and to gain insight and wisdom to succeed in this country. What drove me to offer myself as a candidate was that that belief needed to be more broadly shared. There are large sections of the community I represent that would not count themselves as being on the good fortune side of the street. Life can be tough, resources are not abundant. Good gifted people, who with the right support, the right encouragement and the opportunity to succeed, will make a good go of their life. What we need to do is encourage all of our citizens to reach for the ambition and the delicious possibilities that our country offers, and then support them to make those possibilities their own.

It was in that spirit that I was thrilled to be part of the team that offered the restoration of hope, reward and opportunity as our guiding light for this campaign. It was important because hope is precious. Hope is something that drives people to achieve worthwhile things—to get them out of bed in the morning; to believe that things will be better for the future and that they will play their part and benefit from those improved prospects; to believe that reward is something that recognises effort and enterprise, and that it is a just and deserved response to application and effect. That is a good way to motivate people. The reward might not be financial; it may well be a meaningful, fulfilling life; it might be the chance to help others. I know that is the kind of fulfilment that I and I am sure you, Mr Deputy Speaker, derive from work in this place.

Opportunity is important as well. There has to be a genuine belief that there is a chance to get ahead in life, to make more and to improve the prospects of your existence for those you love, those around you and your community. That hope, reward and opportunity drove the coalition, the Abbott team. It was diminishing and you could sense that. You could see that in my community, where unemployment figures were trending up and not down, where businesses were closing and not being opened, where people were wondering about how to protect what they had and not how to apply what we could perhaps bring to the table to open up new possibilities.

In that spirit of optimism and that things can be better, I am pleased that the electorate chose to support, in a majority sense, my re-election; that we together could work to build a stronger and more prosperous economy, not just nationally but in our own community. It is a wonderful electorate that I represent. It offers wonderful living standards—a place to live and raise a family, which was widely and consistently recognised as a strong point for the Dunkley electorate—matched by the prospects of a livelihood in our own community. We do not want to export our most productive citizens as they go elsewhere to earn a livelihood and to pursue their economic goals; we want to see more of that happening within our community.

We have the second great city in the metropolis that is Melbourne—the first being Melbourne—and we are the coastal city. We are Dunkley by the bay. It is a great place with great prospects for the future, and I am glad that the electorate responded so positively to that message and our plan to make those potentials ours, to turn them into reality.

It was interesting; the campaign was strange. I, as the somewhat weathered and long-term member, was the only candidate putting forward a local plan.

Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Weathered?

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, weathered—weathered by those dawn railway station visits at Seaford, where you get a natural exfoliation as the rain comes in sideways! Ironically, the Labor Party went around as if it were their turn—as if it were, 'Well, he's been there for a while. How about our turn?' It was quite ironic that the campaign slogan that Labor ran under was: 'Time for a fresh face.' The response from so many people was: 'What's wrong with this face?' It was not about my face; it was not about my appearance. This election was about our plans for the future; our vigorous advocacy; a belief in the community and in me—that when representation is required or when leadership would be of benefit, I will be there with them. That is what the election was about. It was quite ironic that, in facing the seventh campaign that I have faced in Dunkley, there was no other local plan. There was no criticism of my advocacy, no suggestion that my representation had been poor, and no contest or challenge to the proposals that I was putting forward in an invitation to the electorate of 'Come join me in implementing this plan to pursue the destiny of opportunity that we see for our community.' There was none of that; just something about my face. I might not be the prettiest person in this place, but the passion, positivity and belief that you need to persevere in your work will drive me, not the extent to which Nivea might have been useful on my face many years ago.

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hey, I use Nivea!

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You use Nivea. So that was an interesting contest. As we look through that election contest, the plan that resonated so positively with the local electorate was about restoring hope, reward and opportunity. It was not only about the national strategy that is so important to the small businesses and family enterprises that represent the economy. They are the economy in the community that I represent—a point I reflected upon in my maiden speech some 17½ years ago, which I will come back to shortly.

In terms of local plans, there is the redevelopment of the Frankston foreshore—a $1.25 million commitment to finish the lifesaving club, the cafe, the meeting precinct and the function venue; the way in which the foreshore interacts with the water; the host venue for so many national and international sailing championships. Frankston is, according to the lifesaving association, the most visited beach Victoria. We need to recognise that, just as I mentioned earlier, we are the city by the bay. Port Phillip Bay is our greatest attribute. We need to re-engage and connect more with that wonderful body of water that offers so much in the way of economic, recreational and leisure opportunities. What drove my parents to move from Albury around 1970 and choose where to live was the idea of living by the beach. We need to celebrate that and invest in its success and in its contribution to our community and our economy. That is what our plan is committed to doing—to creating a youth hub in Mornington so that the northern area of the Mornington Peninsula shire has a focal point for our young people, where community organisations, councils, community service providers, church groups and those of goodwill wanting to help shape and contribute to the development of our young people can come together; a place of collaboration, where the driving motive is to support our young people be all they can be, to support them in grasping those delicious possibilities and making them for themselves, and in some cases helping to map a pathway, because too many choices can be overwhelming for some. We need this youth hub to bring together our best game as a community to support our young people at a time of great change and with the challenges that many face.

We will continue the Dunkley Community Safety Plan, at a cost of $759,000, that I have developed, implemented, refined and expanded over a number of electoral cycles, to ensure people can enjoy our community and peacefully go about their work—visiting, recreating, promenading down the main street of Mornington, if that is their choice. We need more CCTV and better lighting in Frankston, Seaford, Langwarrin, The Pines, Mount Eliza and Mornington, tackling some of the areas of graffiti that cause people to be unsettled about what is happening in their local amenity and local environment.

We will make an important investment in the Frankston Hospital, where incredibly dedicated clinicians and administrators work, a hospital that has got growing demands on it with a growing population. It is a hospital facility that is expected to respond to a greater number of more complex medical conditions. We see the need for the oncology day-treatment centre to be expanded and enhanced, and I am pleased that we made that commitment. We will establish a new community in men's shed in Langwarrin, supporting that community hub function that is so important and which is a focal point for our volunteer organisations and community service agencies. There are people just wanting to do things for the Langwarrin community, working alongside the men's shed where mainly mature age men can share their skills and wisdom—even in what I call the 'greatest tonic in health care' and that is silly talk. When people get together and show an interest in each other and talk about the topics of the day it can be very wellness giving. That is why men's shed is so important as an antidote for many who are feeling great isolation and loneliness, as well as a chance to apply skills and share those with younger people.

We need to actually complete the Frankston Park Function Centre so that we can host the kind of expos and the symposiums and those major functions and events that can make use of the arts centre but which are looking for an exhibition space. We are keen to see that work finished. Also, the resurfacing of the Ballam Park Little Athletics track. We also need tourist directional signage. Many in this place would know of my many years of campaigning for the Scoresby Freeway, which led former Prime Minister Howard to call me 'Mr Scoresby.' It was an important campaign of economic infrastructure which was vital for the east and south-east of Melbourne and it needed to go further with the Frankston Bypass so that we could integrate those freeway assets to provide a seamless movement of our people between their livelihood choices—their education and leisure activities—and for people wanting to live on the peninsula but needing to find economic opportunities elsewhere. We got there after Labor put up all resistance at every point along the way until finally agreeing that this issue was important.

The only thing that is missing now is some decent tourist and location and direction signage. The poor folk of Baxter, whom I am very proud to represent, are the Bermuda Triangle community of the peninsula. The freeway runs through their community, but you would not even know. They are not mentioned on any access or entry points. Those great tourist assets are important for our visitor industry, to guide the many hundreds of thousands of people who visit the peninsula over any sunny weekend. To get them to their destinations needs proper signage and the government have also committed to that work.

We need a Frankston memorial to ensure those who have served are properly respected. We have a highly visible memorial at present, which is great for day-to-day awareness of people who are going past the civic chambers. But on commemoration day those whom we seek to commemorate can barely be accommodated at that venue. We need somewhere that is appropriate to not only support the Centenary of the Anzac landing but, as my friend and colleague the member for Fisher, Mal Brough, said commemorate the 50th anniversary of us first deploying our military capability into Vietnam. We have committed funding for that.

The Green Army project is very important but time will not allow me to get too far into all of that. The dedicated Aged and Carer counter at Frankston Centrelink is very important in terms of service, dignity and capacity to respond to the needs of that very important group within our community.

I was curious to read that one Labor councillor was having a bit of a go at some grants that Labor had announced prior to the federal election. The previous government was not able to actually follow through with putting contractual arrangements in place. The Labor councillor was saying, 'Not only should you honour your own election commitments; you should honour Labor's as well.' There is a novel campaign strategy! Labor not only wanted me to honour my commitments, which I will in full; they wanted me to honours theirs as well. That is an odd strategy.

Did Labor apply that strategy itself, in 2007, when the Howard government left office, regarding the funded election commitment that I made as part of the coalition's campaign for re-election for an Australian technical college? I did not hear any of the Labor councillors then saying, 'The Howard government hasn't been re-elected, but let's make sure the incoming government gives what the region needs and that is an Australian technical college.' I did not hear any of that. I did not hear any of the Labor councillors then saying, 'Gee, we really should honour that seawall commitment that the Howard government made to the Dunkley electorate, to build the public infrastructure needed for a safe boat harbour on that magnificent bay, which is the strongest asset of our community.' I did not hear any of that but, apparently, when Labor loses office federally the incoming coalition government has to honour Labor election commitments. That is not how it operates.

If the projects have merit, I am happy to consider them. But a Facebook entry of the member for Isaacs, standing with a Labor councillor, with a cheesy grin, the only documented evidence of the project, does not amount to sound public administration in my eyes. So it is a bit rich for the Labor councillors to be—

Mr Frydenberg interjecting—

I do not know what it is. Members of the Labor Party think there is a bit of pub talk, they come up with a project and it ends up on Facebook and they think that that somehow represents due process and good value for taxpayers' money. That is not the way it operates. Labor were interested in projects but were too indifferent to actually follow through with them. Let us have a look at the projects. It is sad that community groups have been caught up in this cynical Labor electioneering campaign.

In the few minutes that are available to me, I do want to touch on the small business portfolio that I have the extraordinary honour to carry as a cabinet minister. Small business men and women are the horsepower of our economy. We know their businesses are the engine room, but the people behind them are the ones who make those tough calls about mortgaging their houses to pursue an opportunity, to pay themselves last while ensuring the staff are paid and to be worried about the cash flow of their business. Even though revenue might be up and down, they are the ones who still pay the bills. I have been there; I know what that is like—the pillow talk of cash flow. Most people would like to be discussing something else with their sweetheart, but that is what the life of small business can be like. It is a vital contributor to our economy. Small business lost 412,000 jobs under Labor. Its share of the private sector workforce contracted from 53 per cent to 43 per cent.

Since the election of Labor and the end of the Howard government, through to the election of the Abbott coalition government, there are 3,000 fewer small businesses employing people. The contraction in the small business economy has to stop. We have to arrest that decline, because, for communities like mine, small businesses and family enterprises are the economy. We do not have a mine; we do not have a tower of bank workers. We have got courageous small business men and women who deserve the support of a government that respects them and understands the challenges and difficult decisions that they have to face day in, day out. We have to remove some of the headwinds and the red-tape barriers that are there that just mean even more time on the weekends is spent doing things the government requires them to do, without actually putting that time into the growth of their businesses.

In the minute that is left, I have to say some thankyous. I want to say thank you to Tony Abbott. What an outstanding statesman! There is nothing more character building in public life than being Leader of the Opposition, against the mass, the resources and the advantages of incumbency, and to lead a cohesive, coordinated and incredibly disciplined team with the shared purpose of giving the nation the government that is needed to restore that hope, reward and opportunity I spoke of.

Thank you to our campaign team: to Robert and Linda Hicks; to Arthur Rankin, my father-in-law and director of visual signage; to Colin and Dawn Fisher; to Bob Garnett; to the more than 350 volunteers; to the fed sec 104; to my dedicated office team; to the ministry team that are now helping me with my role; and particularly to my family. Thank you to Alex, Zoe, Maddie and Bella. You suffer much because of the vocation of your father. Thank you to my sweetheart, Kate. I could not ask for a better ally and a better and more devoted partner. I love her dearly and I thank her. (Time expired)

Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First I want to say a very heartfelt thank you to the people of Wills and to my campaign team, who gave me wonderful support throughout the election campaign and indeed in the months and years leading up to it. It is a great honour to have such a strong level of support, and I am determined to work hard in this parliament to be a vigorous and forceful advocate for and representative of the people of Wills.

During the election campaign, the claim was made that Labor had neglected the Wills electorate. This was without foundation. So that the House can get a better appreciation of the various programs and projects funded by the federal government, I list now some of the local press releases which I put out over the last six months: 'Applications for Volunteer Grants 2013 open', 'Wills unemployment falls again', '$309,000 to enhance local settlement services', 'Funding to help local communities help the environment', 'Supporting people with mental illness and their carers in Wills', 'Local sporting champions program: $4,000 for 8 local athletes', 'Glenroy NGO in line for National Homelessness Awards', 'More than 57,900 local homes and businesses to be connected to Labor's NBN', '$99,000 to fix black spot in Wills', 'Hidden Creek neighbourhood house supported by the Australian government', 'Discover Wills's clean energy transformation', 'Applications open for next round of Digital Enterprise Program', 'St Bernard's Primary School excels in special education', 'Funding to enhance social cohesion in Wills', 'Melbourne's north to provide food industry precinct base', '$465,228 available for Moreland Council community infrastructure', 'NBN switched on for more homes and businesses in Brunswick', 'Merri Community Health Services to benefit from National Crime Prevention Fund', 'Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Co-operative Ltd receives funding boost', '$215,000 clean technology grants for two Wills food manufacturers', '$77,000 clean technology grants for Broadmeadows and Coburg manufacturers', 'Funding for Renew Australia to continue creating opportunities from empty spaces' and '$4,000 in grants and certificates for Wills Sporting Champions'. The claim that Labor in government neglected the Wills electorate does not withstand real scrutiny.

The address-in-reply is no doubt the right time to pay my respects to the Governor-General, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce—I think she has done an outstanding job and I sense that all Australians are proud of her—and, through her, to Her Majesty the Queen. Recently, I read a thorough and detailed book written by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. It is called Harmony. My copy was given to me by Dick Smith. Dick is an outstanding Australian who cares deeply for this country. Dick's work on issues like population and Australian ownership is inspirational for me and, I know, many others.

I absolutely commend Prince Charles's book Harmony to everyone who is interested in the future of our planet. The breadth of his knowledge is exceptional, and both the intellectual rigour and creative insight lying behind this book are deeply impressive. There is way too much about environment, population, food and architecture in it for me to do justice to it here. You will have to read it for yourselves. But I will give two examples. Let me cite first page 220, where he discusses academic studies which have found that contact with nature can make people more resilient to illness. One piece of research investigates the recovery rates of patients who had access to a view of trees in a Texas hospital courtyard, compared with those whose windows gave sight of only a concrete wall. All the patients had undergone the same gall bladder surgery, so were considered to be a broadly comparable group. Those patients who enjoyed a view of trees out the window spent fewer days in hospital, used fewer narcotic drugs, had fewer complications and registered fewer complaints with nurses responsible for their care. By contrast, the people who could not see images of nature suffered increased depression, were in need of more pain relief and spent more time in recovery. So being exposed to the patterns produced by nature is directly necessary for our health. Prince Charles says the findings underline how harmony and connection with nature is not some vague or fringe concern but has real benefits for people.

The second example I will draw to attention of the House is on page 232, where he bemoans 'the modern trend towards more and more central planning'. He says:

Communities get what others decide for them—there are no alternatives on offer. …

A top-down approach to planning has been something of a partner of the industrial-scale copybook urban scheme. It is driven by the brutal economics of 'growth' and competitiveness and the pursuit of efficiency targets that care little as to whether a place ends up with 'soul'.

But Prince Charles believes that if people are empowered to work together there are huge benefits. He says:

… the ability of people to self organise can be a very powerful force, but sadly it is an opportunity that is too often untapped. Centralised spatial planning devised by specialist planners trained in a 20th century mechanistic ideology sometimes misses fundamental choices and can lead communities in directions that are not in their best interests. I have enough experience now to know for sure that if people had been put more at the heart of the planning process, some of the disastrous urban environments created in many cities during the twentieth century might easily have been avoided.

I personally think it incredibly important that local residents get to determine what kind of street, neighbourhood and community they live in. And I will provide some free political advice to any of the new MPs in this place who decided parliament is all right and that they would prefer a lengthy parliamentary career to a brief one: back local residents, not property developers. I repeat: support local residents, not property developers.

I was not a candidate for the opposition front bench. I was a shadow minister for 10 years prior to 2007. I have been there and done that. It is my experience that being a shadow minister brings with it obligations not to speak outside your portfolio, and to have everything you do say cleared and approved by the Leader of the Opposition's office. For me, these limitations are simply too great in a world and an Australia that I believe is facing massive challenges.

The world is being damaged, perhaps irreparably, by rapid population growth, climate change, unchecked rainforest and other habitat destruction, poverty, war and terrorism. Australia is not immune from these challenges. Many of our unique and beautiful birds, plants and animals are on the brink of extinction. Our young people cannot afford to buy a home of their own, and their jobs are insecure, while pensioners and retirees battle rapidly rising electricity, gas and water bills and council rates.

I need to be able to speak out about these things, and I intend to. Anyone who thinks my decision to return to the back bench means that I am looking to lead a quiet life and slip out the back door is very mistaken. On the contrary, it is a necessary pre-condition for being active in the debate about the issues that are of greatest importance to the world and to this country.

I, and every other post-war baby boomer, can count myself incredibly lucky to be born when I was, because our children do not have the opportunities my generation had—job and career opportunities, housing opportunities and free education. For all the hype about growth and progress and development building a better world, it is not. It is tougher for our kids than it ever was for us.

This is not just true for Australia. It is true in many other countries as well. It is heartbreaking to hear the stories of all the African migrants who drowned off the coast of the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa. Terrible, terrible, terrible. There is a response that says we should tackle this problem by dismantling our borders and allowing people to live wherever they want to live. But anyone who has seen the Gumballs video, by Roy Beck of NumbersUSA—and if you have not, I cannot recommend it too highly—will know that there are two billion people in the world living on $2 per day or less, and that their numbers are increasing by 80 million every year. No nation in the world—not the United States, not Europe, not Australia—can cope with such numbers.

There are two causes of mass migration. One is people fleeing political violence and repression. The other driver is poverty and people wanting a better life. In those countries that are beset by political violence, the most common cause is religious fundamentalism. There is religious violence, oppression of minorities, not enough respect for the rights of women, and not enough separation between religion and politics and between church and state. This needs to be called out. It is a task for all of us, from whatever religious or ethnic background we come, to condemn, to denounce, to shun and to treat as outcasts religious leaders who preach hate and violence. It has to be called for what it is. Until political and religious violence stops, there will be people fleeing it.

Of the other motive for getting on board a boat—the search for a better life—again, we all have a role to play. We should lift our foreign aid budget to 0.7 per cent of GDP. We should not cut our aid by $4.5 billion over the forward estimates as the Liberal government is doing. It is claimed there is a budget emergency and we cannot afford this aid. Why then is the defence budget to be increased? The government target of 2 per cent of GDP spending on defence is quite arbitrary, and absolute nonsense. Spending money on aid builds goodwill with our neighbours and makes us more secure. I have seen it with my own eyes—the people in Indonesian villages like Australians. In stark contrast, spending money on more powerful weapons just makes our neighbours suspicious and sets in place a vicious circle of arms race, fear and mistrust.

So why isn't there more debate about how Australia's rapid population growth is making it harder for our young people than it was for us? After considerable reflection, I have come to the conclusion that population is not unique in this regard. It is one of a number of issues—not the only one—that are considered threatening to the economic interests of the wealthiest and most powerful Australians, and in some cases non-Australians, who exercise great influence on our political debate through their direct and indirect media influence.

There are political issues that contain no germ of threat to corporate wealth—same sex marriage, asylum seekers, the republic and politicians' entitlements. These things occupy endless column-inches and airtime. If they distract and divide us, so much the better. But issues that have the potential to impact on the wealth of the wealthy—executive salaries, trade practices and market concentration, foreign ownership, threats to the environment from industry and agriculture, and, yes, population growth and migration—are constantly overlooked and repressed.

In this we do not get any help from quite a few people who think of themselves as progressives, and who would look you in the eye and swear black and blue that they want to save the environment, they want to protect workers and that they care about the future. But whether it is from fear of being called racist or xenophobic, or a form of moral conceit or vanity, they will not touch the issue of population. That is, of course, their right. But let me make this point to such people, as bluntly as I can: for as long as Australia's rapid population growth, high migration path endures, it will destroy the things you claim to hold dear. It creates a surplus pool of labour, which is used as a battering ram against job security and against workers' pay and conditions. It prevents us attaining full employment, and the quest for jobs, jobs, jobs for our increasing workforce leads us to sacrifice our environmental standards, destroy wildlife habitat and compromise our quality and way of life.

Debate interrupted.