Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also take note of answers given by the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Evans, and the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Conroy, and I also choose to respond to some comments made by Senator Polley and Senator Farrell. But, firstly, I want to put on the record again the coalition’s support for this $10.4 billion package announced by the Prime Minister, because, if you listened to the comments that were made by Senator Conroy during question time, you would think that there was some huge doubt about our support for this package. His inflammatory comments really set out to mislead the Australian public about the fact that we are strongly supporting the government’s stand with this economic package in securing and looking after the interests of all Australians.

I would like to take up a couple of comments that were made, firstly, by Senator Farrell in his suggestion that we are surprised by the government’s response to this crisis. You’re damn right we are! It is the first time that you guys—as Senator Fifield so clearly articulated—have realised that you are on the government benches and you are in a position to actually govern this country, as opposed to commentating and calling for another inquiry. In nine months, it is the first time that you have actually decided to do something in a positive, constructive way, so I support your comments. I can well understand why you think that we are surprised, because I tell you: we are.

I would also like to respond to a couple of comments that Senator Polley made. The first was her suggestion that the Howard-Costello government had not been transparent in government, and she cited instances in 1996. I would suggest that the greatest arbiters of that, those who have the best judgement are the Australian public themselves. I draw to your attention that such was the so-called problem with transparency in the way the coalition government managed this country that we actually won three elections after that, so I would suggest to Senator Polley that transparency was not the issue of the day. I would also like to pick up on her comment about our approach to government, which was ‘spend, spend, spend’. If that had been our approach, they would not have been left with a $22 billion surplus buffer which now provides them with the capacity to deal with the current global financial crisis, as opposed to the $96 billion debt that we were left.

In this chamber, we have been strongly arguing the case to ease the burden for all single age pensioners, for over a month now, with the immediate relief of an increase of $30 to that pension payment. I found it extraordinary when I heard the Prime Minister outline the package. It was nothing less than a bald-faced backflip on everything that the government had been responding to in relation to our strong advocacy of helping pensioners out now—not for the long term, as was being suggested by the government, in the next budget, but giving them some relief now, which is what they so sorely need.

It is interesting to note the government’s approach to these matters. If the idea does not come from them, if it is not a brainwave that they dreamed up overnight themselves, then they do not consider it to be good public policy and they do not consider it and take it on board. This is what happened, certainly, in relation to the increase that we proposed for pensions.

On Friday, 10 October, I heard Malcolm Turnbull speak and suggest that deposits should be secured by the government up to $20,000. But, once again, the government chose not to listen. The arrogance of the government dictates their extraordinary behaviour. Unless they come up with a good idea and therefore deem it to be good public policy, it is not going to fly. Here they have gone into a huddle, sought advice, repackaged it and called it by a different name, and now they promote it as good public policy. The good news for them is that we support this policy because it is something that we have been advocating for some time, so we are delighted with the strong fiscal stimulus that this will provide. (Time expired)