Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

You do. We have seen this with wasted time during non-controversial legislation. Senator Fifield asked me to name some examples. Wasted time during non-controversial legislation is another example to add to the prolific MPIs we experience these days in this place. The Australian people should expect nothing less than vigorous debate on legislation in this place, not repetition of tired, worn-out rhetoric. In times of great challenges to the world economy, the coalition is spending time recycling the same hypnotic lines.

As one example, the fairer private health bills have been before this chamber on two previous occasions. The government has been consistent in its policy approach, and it should come as no surprise to the opposition that it is a key priority for the government to have these bills passed. On previous occasions the Senate has already spent more than 12 hours debating changes to private health in this country. It is time for delivery and for some fairness in the way we allocate health resources.

The MRRT package has been in the public domain for almost two years. Later today the Senate Economics Legislation Committee will hand down its report on this package. The legislation has benefited from two separate policy review processes, including by independent tax experts. There have been two rounds of consultation on the legislation and three parliamentary inquiries as well as the Senate legislation inquiry. In total, we are likely to have over 40 hours of parliamentary debate on the package.

It is time the Australian people were given their fair share of the mineral resources they own. It is time the 2.7 million Australian small businesses got a break. These small businesses need a break. It is time 8.4 million Australians got a boost to their retirement savings, rather than tired, old rhetoric from Mr Abbott about union participation. It is time we made the superannuation system fairer by refunding the tax paid by 3.6 million low-income Australians. Labor cares about low-income Australians. It is time that we invest in critical infrastructure to support our economic growth, and it is certainly time that those opposite got out of the way and let it all proceed.