Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We do very well, Senator Faulkner, there is no doubt about that—and I had the privilege of being in the Pilbara last week talking to some Indigenous people. But on my first trip through the Kimberley we were thanked by Indigenous Australians who had tears in their eyes because they were so damned proud to hear the Prime Minister deliver the apology. And I have not seen the sky fall in. This is still a wonderfully fine country. We are still doing all right, even though it is getting harder and harder. Apologising to Indigenous Australians did not bring the country down; it did not collapse the economy.

Apologising to Indigenous Australians and ratifying the Kyoto protocol were the two things the Prime Minister did in the very early days of his prime ministership—and what wonderful initiatives they were. But I do not have the words to respond to the accusation from the opposition. When it first came across my desk, I thought it was a joke. But then I saw that it was not a joke because it had come from the whip’s office. Senators opposite actually sent that disgraceful wording through.

But let us talk about other things that the Rudd Labor government has done. Regardless of what those opposite wish to agree to, Labor was swept to power 12 months ago on a range of issues. In my heart of hearts, there were three very important issues: (1) the environment—quite clearly; (2) the opposition, through former Prime Minister Howard, had delivered no fewer than 10 interest rate rises in a row, leading Australians to think that they could control interest rates and keep them down; and (3), very importantly, Work Choices. That was the bogey. I may as well keep saying it: Work Choices! Work Choices! They do not like to hear it. Thank you very much for giving Australia Work Choices! You did so well that you were thanked by being booted out on your backsides. It was a disgraceful, bastardly act. We saw industrial relations tipped on its head after 100 odd years of Federation in this country. No wonder Australians revolted against you. But they sit there and ask: what has Labor done? What about our Building Australia Fund and our $20 billion infrastructure fund? That is another thing we have had to take up because of the mess that was left for us. (Time expired)