Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I think that, with new senators coming to the chamber recently, we all make allowances—as I do for the former speaker in what was obviously a purely outright political stunt. We all know that the West Australian election is coming. But, if we really want to talk about education, let us go back and remind those in the chamber and those listening of the terrible record and the lack of investment in education by the Commonwealth government over the last 11½ years. May I also turn people’s minds to the fact that it is very hard sometimes on the government side to respond to questions on notice because there does not seem to be a strategy. You can see Senator Abetz’s footprints and handprints all over these questions because there is absolutely no strategy at all. In fact, he is such a good tactician that not only did he leave the chamber today before the end of question time but I remind people of how he left the chamber and sulked during Senator Feeney’s first speech, which I thought was quite ungracious.

Let us turn our attention to some facts. In this chamber we have had not only in question time but relentlessly from those on the opposite side lecturing about how suddenly they have got a heart and now have an understanding of working Australians. Can I just remind people here today that it is those people sitting opposite, those like Senator Cash, who get up and lecture us about education who have been the economic vandals now vandalising our budget—the budget that we won the election on, the commitments that we are upholding and those election commitments that we are now trying to deliver on—and, in fact, trying to blow a $6 billion hole in this budget. And they call themselves responsible! I think the Australian people demonstrated very clearly at the last election where they are prepared to put their trust for the future. They want a government that is going to look long term at their future and their children’s future, whether that is education or more particularly in health.

It is also about investing in infrastructure and building this nation, which is something that I would like to remind people was squandered by the Menzies government decades ago. In fact, it was the Hawke-Keating government that put the footings back in place that enabled the Howard-Costello government to have the success that they had with the economy. I also want to touch on the commitment that this government has made, and is making, to health. We all know—