Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I am delighted to hear Senator Brandis say that the member for Higgins, Mr Costello, was the face of the boom, because no government was more irresponsible in failing to establish an industry policy for this country that protected the jobs of workers in the long term. They celebrated hollowing out the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing left the country; jobs left the country. They distorted the tax system so that income tax was reduced for the rich and we became totally dependent on profit income from mining companies, from the quarry. We became absolutely—