Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. On Saturday the people of Victoria rejected the Liberal Party's record on cuts to schools, hospitals and infrastructure. What lessons has the federal government learnt from Victoria?

Ms Henderson interjecting—

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

The member for Corangamite is preventing the Prime Minister getting the call. The Prime Minister has the call.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They're very cocky over there today, aren't they? They're very cocky—very, very cocky. The Leader of the Opposition's got that cocky swagger again as he's walking around. The unions are feeling pretty cocky too about what they'll be able to get the Leader of the Opposition to do if he ever occupies this side of the House. I congratulate the Premier of Victoria on his election. I said so on the night. I texted him on the night and I congratulated him. And I'll tell you why I did: because in Victoria an incumbent premier who has been presiding over a strong economy, which has enabled him to deliver services and infrastructure which the people of Victoria have clearly respected—a premier who was favoured to his opponent—has been re-elected. It is an incumbent government running a strong economy with a preferred premier and delivering services and infrastructure for the people they're intended to serve. Who does that sound like? Our government is running a strong economy. Our government is delivering infrastructure and services that the Australian people respect and want more of. Our government has a plan to continue that.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As we listen to the jeers and the guffaws of an arrogant and out-of-touch opposition, they've put the cue in the rack. They think they're already there. They think they can do whatever they want. I'll never forget what Peter Garrett said back before the 2007 election. We all remember it. While they were all trying to pretend there wouldn't be anything dramatic, that they would just be John Howard-lite if Kevin Rudd were elected, Peter Garrett let the cat out of the bag when he said, 'We'll change it all.' That's what the Leader of the Opposition's plan is. That's what the Labor Party's plan is. They want to change it all. That means the economy. That means the very things that Australians depend on for their jobs and livelihoods. You won't hear from the opposition plans to support small and family businesses. You won't hear plans to ensure that we increase female workforce participation in this country. You won't hear that. What you'll see from the Labor Party is them taking the law-breakers in the union movement and turning them into lawmakers on their very benches. This is a cocky and arrogant leader of the Labor Party who thinks the job is already done. That's not our view. We will fight him every day to the next election because he will destroy our economy.