Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

There are the measures that you opposed to bring benefits to thousands of schools around the country. There are many thousands of schools that have had enormous benefit from the Building the Education Revolution stimulus package. You have to stand up and say, ‘We didn’t want to support your local school community.’

Measures that delivered economic stimulus to Australians to keep them working during the global financial crisis were opposed by you in this place. Fortunately, we did have the numbers on that issue. These are measures that everyone except the opposition now accepts were urgently needed to protect Australia from the worst of the recent global economic crisis.

We have seen repeated action from the opposition and the Greens to use up this chamber’s time on exercises that distract and divert the Senate from the important issues. It engages us in debate that changes and achieves nothing —meaningless gestures. This afternoon’s motion is yet another example of this kind of time wasting.

This parliament and this chamber does its job best when governments have to argue and negotiate their position through this place effectively. This chamber has a vital role in creating a strong and open democracy. Strong checks and balances are indeed required, but we need a Senate that provides proper and fair legislative scrutiny and good legislative outcomes.

The government and the opposition will be held to account for their actions at the next election—and all the senators in this place who are up for election will be held to account. We will not stand idly by as the government’s agenda is frustrated and obstructed by the actions of this chamber. The Australian people are watching us closely in the lead-up to the next election.

When reform has been promised and is expected and does not eventuate or is compromised severely because of the actions of this chamber—not the government—it is of vital importance that people know. Our Prime Minister has a right to express his views and his frustration. It is entirely fair that our Prime Minister and the Rudd government put its case on these issues to the Australian people. The Australian people in the lead-up to the next election are watching. Australians will make their own decision and hold members and senators of both chambers to account.