Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome another interruption by Senator Macdonald, who has contributed so much to debate in this chamber in the last few weeks and has revealed the abject lack of leadership of Senator Abetz and Senator Brandis. Senator Macdonald has been providing the leadership for the Liberal Party. He represents where they have got to as well—the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate has no control over them; they have nothing to contribute other than to make spurious points of order. This is the discipline of the coalition; this is the leadership provided in this chamber. It is embarrassing to see Senator Abetz so badly undermined.

As I say, the coalition oppose flood relief for the victims of the floods in Queensland and Victoria, they oppose tax cuts to small business, they oppose superannuation concessions for low-income and women workers, they oppose putting a price on carbon and they oppose taxing the superprofits of mining companies. They have worked themselves into a position of total negativity, of opposing everything that is good for Australia, and they have nothing to contribute to the policies of this country. This government is absolutely focused on the future of Australia, be it through investing in education or health or through the reforms I have talked about. We are absolutely focused on growing this country and growing opportunities for Australians.

In my own portfolio we are seeing record investment in tertiary education and in trade training education. We have 100,000 more young Australians going to university than when we came to office—people who had been denied access. Lots of them are from the bush and, under years of the National Party, they never got a chance to go to university. They are now going to university. Families who never had the opportunity can now send their kids to university. These students will take the high-pay, high-skill jobs in the future. We are investing in the future of this country. We are investing in child care and preschools, in primary schools and secondary schools, and in TAFES and universities. We know the value of education to this country, not only for the development of the individual people concerned but also for the development of our economy. We are investing in the health of Australians by putting record amounts of money into health, by trying to streamline the health system and opening up more GP clinics to provide better access.

This government has a vision for Australia's future. This government knows where it is headed. This government is positive and optimistic about Australia's future. We are going to provide the economic leadership that will allow Australia to continue to grow and prosper; the economic leadership that will provide opportunities for Australians in education and employment. That is what this government is focused on, and that is in stark contrast to the sort of thing we see from the opposition. I encourage people to read Senator Abetz's speech today. That tells you just what they have to offer—not one idea, not one policy, not one positive, not one optimistic view of Australia. They are just talking Australia down—talking the Australian economy down and talking Australians' contribution down. They are full of negativity. They are led by Dr No, and that has infected the whole Liberal-National Party organisation. They have made themselves irrelevant. Not only do they oppose everything now but they have got themselves in the ludicrous position of taking money off small businesses and low-paid Australians to give it back to the BHPs and Rios of this country.