David Feeney (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition and his action plan—the action man with the action plan. While those opposite might rail against a carbon tax, that $3.2 billion action plan is in effect the coalition's very own carbon tax. The $24 billion is required to refund big polluters for carbon permits. While those opposite like to spruik about sovereign risk, we find them roaming the highways and byways of this great country of ours telling business not to buy permits and not to participate in this scheme.

There are $11.1 billion of unfunded promises from those opposite, because they have resolved to hand back moneys raised through the minerals resource rent tax. And, to make this position of theirs even more farcical, they are determined to keep the benefits that flow from that taxation but have resolved to give up the revenue. They have resolved to give up the revenue so that they can hand it back to the likes of Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer—although one must speculate that those opposite must be regretting the idea of handing Clive a cheque this week at least. To add insult to injury, while those opposite are determined to hand back $11.1 billion to the mining industry by disposing of this tax, we see in Western Australia and Queensland state coalition governments raising royalties on those very same commodities—thus making an absolute mockery of the coalition's claim to be the friend and defender of these industries.

We also see $8 billion in pledged tax cuts from those opposite. And, not content with a $70 billion black hole, we see those opposite peddling false hope in defence spending. Today we saw Senator Johnston have the temerity to ask a question about defence cuts compromising our national security—an outrageous assertion he could not make out. But where are the coalition's promises on defence spending? Where are the coalition's commitments to restoring defence spending to the level they say is appropriate? Of course, there is no such commitment; we just have weasel words from an opposition that cannot put before the Australian people a proposition that adds up or makes sense. Instead we see a coalition that are determined to walk both sides of the street, to peddle fear and to peddle false hope to various constituencies.

This week we heard that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition begged and beseeched Senator Joyce to stop helping. One might invite her to make the same request of all of those in her Senate team because, right here and right now, those opposite do not have a proposition before the Australian people that makes political sense or economic sense—and your political future will be destroyed as a consequence.