Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I find it absolutely amazing that Senator Joyce, in his belated return to the floor of the Senate, after being told by the party leader that he needs to pull his head in, is raising the issue of tax and the Henry tax review. For Senator Joyce to talk about issues such as irresponsibility and uncertainty is the height of hypocrisy. The irresponsibility of Senator Joyce in terms of his lack of understanding, lack of grip, lack of knowledge about the portfolio that was given to him by an opposition leader who was desperate to paper over the cracks and the problems in the coalition—as part of that papering over he gave Senator Joyce and the National Party the hold of the levers of what could be the economy of this country—is absolutely mind boggling.

This government has a good record on tax. We are proud of our record on tax. I will tell you what we want to do: we want to make sure that the people who can pay the tax pay tax and those who need the help can get help. That is the way this government operates. For Senator Cormann to start mentioning Western Australia, after the National Party in the west have said that Senator Cormann has failed Western Australia, that Senator Cormann is not delivering for Western Australia, again shows he has a bit of a hide. He is trying to take the heat off the divisions and the cracks between the coalition and the Nationals in Western Australia. To come here and try to attack us on tax is a bit rich. If you are not doing the job for Western Australia, let someone come in that is going to do the job for Western Australia. The Nationals know that you are not doing the job for Western Australia. Your own side know that you are not doing the job!

They talk about secrecy. This is a former government, under Howard, who their own side described as mean, tricky and nasty. Your own national president described you as mean, tricky and nasty! So don’t come in here trying to tell us about what we should be doing, because on tax we are not mean, we are not tricky and we are not nasty the way the coalition were mean, tricky and nasty in their political position when they were in government. We will be delivering a doubling of the low-income tax offset from $750 in 2007-08 to $1,500 by 1 July 2010. We are delivering on tax. We are not like the coalition, who want to sit back and do negative carping—just say no to everything that comes up here. For the coalition to talk about the national interest is an absolute joke. You have not put the national interest upfront with any issue. It has been short-termism, trying to score political points and ignoring the interests of this nation.

You are an absolute rabble and a joke as an opposition—an absolute joke. You do not have the courage of your own convictions. What are you doing with this great big new tax that you want to introduce on big business in this country? You are actually trashing the values and the commitments that you have argued for years is the way forward—the low-tax coalition! What does Mr Abbott do as soon as he becomes leader? He starts a big new tax on the top end of town—a big new tax on big business. It is clear that not even Andrew Bolt can find a good word for your taxation approach. Not even Peter Costello can find a good word for your big new tax—not one word of support for what you are doing. Everyone knows it was just a thought bubble. Everyone knows it was a knee-jerk reaction. It is quite clear that you have no idea what to do in the national interest, and your own side has you picked. (Time expired)