Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Australian people will not forget. They know Tony Abbott's record as Minister for Health and Ageing and they are scared he will take residence in the Lodge. We know that the coalition will bring back Work Choices laws to strip away basic workplace protections. They are a risk to your jobs. The Australian people know that they are a risk to their jobs and they are a risk to job security.

We know, as the Australian people know, that it is the Gillard Labor government that is looking after the economy, looking after working Australians and looking after families. Labor has a plan for the future direction of Australia, positioning Australia to take advantage of Asia's remarkable growth. We on this side know that the Australian community are smart. They are much smarter than the opposition gives them credit for. That is why we are laying down a progressive reform program for taking this country forward. At the same time, we are not leaving behind Australian families; we are not leaving behind Australian workers.

We know that delivering a surplus in the 2012-13 financial year will bring about the sort of security that this economy and the Australian people deserve. We are determined to get the big things done and under Julia Gillard we will get those big things done and we will do what is right. Even when it is difficult we will put the national interest first. We know who is dysfunctional, and it is not this Gillard government. It is Tony Abbott and those opposite. Just as the opposition wants to race back to an election now, the Australian people know that Julia Gillard has Tony Abbott's measure. She can out-negotiate him. She can get the very difficult job done— (Time expired)