Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

It is clear to me, judging by the rhetoric Senator Moore has used for the last five minutes on this motion to take note of Senator Carr's answer, that no-one told her that the 'moving forward' slogan from the last election was dumped when the 'real Julia' came out. This is the most ridiculous defence of a very poor government that I have ever heard. They keep talking about their plans for the future—for 2015 and 2020 and 2025. It is all going to come to nought. We on the benches on this side are exposing the folly, the uselessness and the hopeless­ness of this government, and they are saying that this is what is causing a crisis in manu­facturing. The Senate chamber on the government side is in complete and utter denial. The activities and actions of the government are what is paralysing industry in this country. The people of Australia have no confidence in your ability to manage any policy program or implement it in an effective, fair and balanced manner.

The evidence is very clear to see, and the warnings were equally clear. I remember standing up in this place and warning that Senator Carr, as the industry minister responsible for manufacturing, would take the giant leap backwards, and that is clearly what has happened here. We have lost 105,000 jobs under this minister in this area. Manufacturing employment is under a million for the very first time that I can recall. We are going backwards at a rate of knots, and it is not our fault; it is your fault—not you specifically, Senator Moore, but it is the government's fault. They turn everything they touch into dust—and that is the most polite way I can manage to say it. I remember when Senator Carr, in his original incarnation as innovation minister, was claiming it a great innovation to send text messages into space, in the hope that some life form up there would be able to respond and give him some guidance about what to do with industry back here on earth. I am saying to Senator Carr, and the others on the government side, that they should take their heads out of the clouds and get their focus not on space but back on earth. They should bring their focus back to earth and confront their demons—and their demons are large and they are many.

The government cannot manage money, they cannot implement policy programs, they have no consistent narrative in which they can build a framework to take this country forward. That is very clear. That is why the people of Australia are protesting. That is why the people of Australia have no confi­dence in this government. And that is why this government are languishing. They are languishing not only in the polls but internally—the morale is at the lowest it has ever been.