Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

In relation to anything that the government does, can I simply indicate and confirm to the honourable senator opposite that we have one test—and it is not the one that Mr Keating exposed the Labor Party as having, which is needing a focus group to know which side of bed to get out of the morning. We on this side of the chamber continually ask this one, simple question: is it in the national interest? That is our test. So in all those tough decisions on issues like changing the tax system—we knew it was unpopular—waterfront reforms and social welfare reforms we did not ask if they were popular; because, as we knew with the GST and other issues, if your concern was with short-term popularity you would not have touched them.

Our concern has been long-term nation building, and today this nation is starting to enjoy the dividends of that, with unprecedented wages growth in a low-inflationary environment with high employment and the lowest rate of industrial disputation since records have been kept. It is those sorts of factors that motivate us. I can assure the honourable senator that, if regulations and changes are made to the gazetted form, it will be with those tests in mind and not with the sorts of things that clearly take up a lot of time and interest on the Labor Party side.