Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'Tis that time of year again, when I tell a Christmas tale, about the LNP's turmoils, desperations and endless fails. This year it wasn't hard which story to choose, because we have a Prime Minister who is Ebenezer Scrooge. Before every LNP budget former Treasurer Scott Morrison would sit in his ivory tower, counting his dollars with unyielding power. The Australian people would beg for some investment in jobs and health and action on energy and education, but Treasurer Morrison would always refuse and give nothing but cuts and privatisation. Scrooge Morrison has been the architect of every single cut, for he is what has put my home, Townsville, in its current rut. Just like Ebenezer Scrooge's worker, Fred, my town has been left begging; workers, families, veterans and pensioners doing nothing but fretting, about how, under the LNP, the local retail worker is receiving a pay cut, and how, due to no action on energy, local small businesses are shut. There are people choosing between medical visits and paying electricity bills, and our pensioners cannot afford to pay for their own pills. Scrooge Morrison has made massive cuts to education and health—

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

The member for Herbert will refer to members by their correct titles. I've made this point incessantly. She's heard me. She's very fortunate that I don't just sit her down now and move to the next speaker. The member for Herbert may proceed.

Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

whilst trying to privatise our Medicare by stealth. Under Treasurer Morrison and now Prime Minister Morrison Townsville is doing it incredibly tough, for Townsville simply has not received enough. Townsville's unemployment under Prime Minister Morrison has almost doubled, a fact that does not seem to make the LNP troubled, for Prime Minister Morrison has been giving taxpayer dollars to the top end of town at the expense of Townsville jobs, workers and families, keeping us all down.

Just like the plot of the Charles Dickens story, ghosts from LNP past are coming out of purgatory. The ghost of LNP past, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, has risen from the dead, and he's coming back to wreak havoc and create more dread. For we are seeing LNP ghosts put their own self-interest and jobs before the rest of us, and creating in this place a large amount of distrust.

Then there is former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is the ghost of LNP present, for whose anger and disgust for the LNP I share the same sentiment. For the ghost of LNP present Turnbull is ringing bells loudly and true, that led to the landslide victory in Victoria leaving the LNP black and blue. And all of these ghosts are putting their own self-interest first; they are doing so at the expense of regional workers, only making things worse.

The ghost of yet-to-come has not yet arrived, but allow me to guess and make a hundred-dollar bet, that the ghost of yet-to-come won't be one ghost but millions, for Prime Minister Morrison's future will be decided by Australian civilians. And on election day these ghosts, who have received the brunt of the Prime Minister's cuts, who will have received nothing from the LNP government but peanuts, will ensure that they make every one of their votes count, by voting out Prime Minister Morrison and holding him to account. For Townsville will remember all of Prime Minister Morrison's cuts to jobs and health, and how he gave our taxpayers' dollars to those with incredible wealth.

At the next election Prime Minister Morrison will have hard lessons to learn, how he can't create Townsville's largest economic downturn. When you are the person responsible for huge job losses, then Townsville is going to give you the toss.