Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. When 8,000 Telstra workers lost their job today, the Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities shrugged his shoulders and said, 'As a former telco executive, I can say these things do happen from time to time.' Yesterday, the Prime Minister told a 60-year-old aged-care worker in Burnie to 'get a better job'. Doesn't this reveal everything the Prime Minister stands for: tax cuts for executives and cheap insults for Australian workers?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That question demonstrates everything you need to know about the Leader of the Opposition. He cannot tell the truth. It's only 24 hours, and he's already misleading the House about what I said. And what about the slimy, patronising insinuation he made about 60-year-old Australians!

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about that? Apparently, according to him, if you're 60 years of age you've got to stay in the same job forever and earn the same money forever.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton is warned.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let's say you're a 60-year-old registered nurse working in aged care—I'm sure there are many of that age in that industry—you can't aspire to become a manager? You can't aspire to earn more? What if you're a personal care attendant? If you're 60, you can't aspire to train and become an enrolled nurse or a registered nurse? What this shows us again is the smug, slimy insinuations the Labor Party makes about the aspirations of Australians. We believe in their aspirations. We know that every Australian is entitled to do everything they can to realise their dream, to aspire, to work, to train, to earn more money—

Dr Aly interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cowan is warned.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move from one job to another or to move from one department to another. It's their lives. They should be able to manage their lives as they wish. Our job, we believe—the government's role—is to enable Australians to do their best. We've just heard from this slimy, insinuating, patronising Leader of the Opposition that they believe that 60-year-old workers should stay in their place. That's what those opposite believe. They don't believe 60 is the new 40; they believe 60 is frozen in time. It's very significant that he referred to a 60-year-old because the insinuation there was: 'That's it. You can't do anything else. You can't earn anything more.'

Let me tell you, I've been 60 and I know—I'm over 60—60-year-olds have got plenty of energy and plenty of ambition. There's a lot of them, and they're going to come after you at the next election.

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on both sides will cease interjecting.

Ms Owens interjecting—

The member for Parramatta is warned. The members for Moreton and Cowan have already been warned. Not only is the level of interjections far too high—and I'm not going to keep repeating myself; I'll simply take action—a practice has developed on my right where there's constant banging of the desks. Practice is very clear on this matter; Speaker Andrew addressed it back in 1997. Constant banging on the desks is not acceptable conduct in the chamber.