Senate debates
Monday, 7 November 2011
Bills
Clean Energy Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Income Tax Rates Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Household Assistance Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Tax Laws Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Fuel Tax Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Customs Tariff Amendment) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Excise Tariff Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011, Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Amendment Bill 2011, Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Amendment Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Shortfall Charge — General) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge — Auctions) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge — Fixed Charge) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (International Unit Surrender Charge) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Charges — Customs) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Charges — Excise) Bill 2011, Clean Energy Regulator Bill 2011, Climate Change Authority Bill 2011; In Committee
10:34 am
Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source
Let me just remind you about our government: we have put more into hospitals than any government in previous history. What did you do? There was a billion dollars taken out of public hospitals; that is what Tony Abbott did. What have we done? Understanding that the pension needed to increase, we have put in place a historic increase to the pension for Australians who have worked hard. Twelve years under John Howard did not deliver that. A Labor government delivered that. A Labor government delivered paid parental leave—the first government ever to deliver paid parental leave. In 12 years you never delivered support for working women, working mothers—never. A Labor government delivered that. We have increased the childcare rebate. We have increased the amount of support that we give to working families through the childcare rebate. It never occurred under you. We put in place the carers supplement. We introduced additional family tax benefits and an education tax refund. And we abolished Work Choices, which you, Senator Mason, were so enthusiastic in supporting—just as all of you have been so enthusiastic to jump on board the bandwagon backing Qantas's right to lock out all its employees.
So do not come in here and talk to us about working Australians, because we have actually delivered for working Australians—and we will continue to, because we do understand who we represent. We understand that managing the economy is about managing it for working Australians and their families. That work is never finished, and we will always continue to do that work, unlike those Johnny-come-latelies, who were in here on this side of the chamber telling us how wonderful Work Choices was—and I remember you, Senator Mason—and how wonderful it was for bosses to be able to sack people and for people to be able to have their penalty rates ripped away. Senator Abetz, Senator Mason and all those—
Senator Mason interjecting—
Are you shouting while you are not in your seat?
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