Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today, I rise to put on the record my support for all of the people in Lindsay. It is a privilege and a very, very humble duty that I have to serve my community. The people of Lindsay are hardworking, decent and honest people, and I say that at every opportunity. What they don't want to see is their hard-earned taxes squandered. That is exactly what they see when they look at the Turnbull government spending $122 million on a sham postal survey. It is exactly what they see when they look at cuts to penalty rates and it is exactly what they see when they see promises not kept to ensure services are provided in our community.

Wages are not rising, but the state and federal coalition governments are ensuring that the cost of living does. There has been a cut of $77 a week to penalty rates, a 20 per cent rise in electricity prices in New South Wales and $9 a day in new taxes for people of Western Sydney, and no funding whatsoever to help the hardworking nurses and doctors at the most under-pressure hospital in New South Wales, the Nepean. When will the Liberals who are running this and the New South Wales government fix this? There are a couple of them in here now and I ask them.

Now we have a postal survey that we don't need to have. It will mean that $122 million is spent on something that we could deal with right now. The Turnbull government are bereft of ideas and paralysed in thought because they can't follow the laws of the Constitution dated 1901 or they think they're above the law.

Government Member:

A government member interjecting—

Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take that interjection. Maybe you should have come to the Power of Speech and the breakfast this morning to support the kids living with hearing loss.

Honourable members interjecting—

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order!

Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They think that they are above the law. The people of Lindsay are offering them some fresh inspiration. That $122 million could go a long way, and my constituents offer some free advice to those opposite. Overwhelmingly, they want $122 million spent on health, education, domestic violence resources and disability services, and affordable housing wouldn't go astray either. That $122 million could buy 175 houses for families in Penrith. Cassandra Way, Shell O'Mal and Becky Bailey wanted funds for teachers and nurses. More teachers would be a great idea, and $122 million would provide 1,906 New South Wales public teachers on an average salary of $64,000. Sharon Carter and Katie Fahey supported more funds for specialised teachers and assistance for children with disabilities. That $122 million would go a long way towards establishing and servicing the needs of the women's community shelters. People like Sharon Levy, Bec Jarett and Natalie Felvy would agree, and they are heading up my amazing committee. Do you know what else they say? They say, 'How about politicians'—who are paid very, very well, I might add—'get on with it and do the job that they're actually paid to do: respect the Constitution, respect the job and the position they hold and let the free vote pass this parliament.'