Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by opposition Sernators today relating to the 2007-08 Budget.

Today’s debate reflects the very low opinion that the government have of the intelligence of the Australian electorate. The government seek to convince the Australian electorate that, after 11 years of neglect of some of the major challenges facing this country, there is some sort of short-term political fix to be found in throwing money at some of those problems. They think that those people who have suffered under the childcare crisis for the last 11 years, that those who have struggled to meet the cost of living as they try and balance work and family and that pensioners who have done it very tough as the GST and high food prices have affected their standard of living for a long period of time will somehow forget. They think that by sending them a cheque somehow those issues have goes away—that those people will not remember the serious neglect and the arrogance that the government have shown to their condition over a long period of time.

Senator Minchin is right: we endorse many of the payments that are contained in the budget, because at long last they provide some recognition and some compensation for some of those people who have been doing it tough. But, as I have said, there is a whole range of issues. The government go nowhere near compensating people for the pain and suffering they have had as a result of the neglect of the government in tackling the issues of Middle Australia.

The tax cuts are a classic example. For years the government has failed to deliver proper tax cuts to low- and middle-income earners but suddenly, six months out from the election, these are the people the government cares about. I think the reaction will be people saying: ‘Thanks very much for the money; we need it. It will be a help, but it is nowhere near enough. Quite frankly, it is far too little far too late. And we are not fooled. We can see the cynicism. The budget reeks of cynicism. It reeks of a short-term fix to a political problem.’ What the government fails to do—