Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to contribute to the debate on this MPI motion. I really find it quite stark in hypocrisy that those opposite can accuse this government of relentless negativity and of not developing real solutions. We need only look at our track record, at what we have achieved since we came into government; it is an excellent record. I know Senator Williams will join me in commending us on our record! If he gets an opportunity he might make a contribution about how good our policies are, as well as many aspects of what we have done while we have been in government.

But what we get from the other side, particularly from Tony Abbott, is the position of 'no'. You wonder whether he has any other words to add to his vocabulary. It is just 'no'. It is very limited. I know he does not read a lot. I know he has not read his climate change policy. He fails to read things and then comes along with these statements and makes all these trip-ups along the way when he is travelling around the countryside. Maybe that has something to do with this literacy standard; I do not know. But when he comes up with a policy of just saying no all the time, it is no wonder that the people in our communities are wondering where he is coming from.

So, that is where we sit—that is the difference between the government and the opposition. I am pleased Senator Nash spoke about climate change, and I want to talk about that for a moment. We put a price on carbon, and we saw the need to make a difference to reduce our emissions so that our future generations—like my granddaughter Xavia—can enjoy the environment of clean air and clean water that we enjoy today. That is what we have done for our future. The coalition said no. In fact, their leader said climate change was 'absolute crap'. That is on record; we know the opposition leader has indicated that. So, when it comes to their direct action policy, we understand without a doubt what it stands for as well.

Just recently we had Mr Hockey admitting that the repeal would trigger compensation claims from companies that have made investments and business decisions based on a price on carbon. I wonder what compensation costs would be added to the $48 billion to $100 billion that independent experts have estimated that direct action will cost, further increasing the coalition's budget black hole. Just today we had one of the Liberal candidates—the candidate for the seat of Hume, Angus Taylor—describing the key element of the direct action policy as 'bizarre'. He is describing the LNP's policy on direct action as bizarre. No wonder people out there are really wondering what they stand for.

Then we have the likes of Senator Joyce, one of my fellow colleagues from Queensland, claiming that a roast will cost you $100. Where do they get these statements from? A roast costing you $100: it must be an awfully big roast.

Senator Scullion interjecting—

I agree, Senator Scullion. It must be like some of those buffaloes you have up in the Territory, to cost $100. But, in general, if you go to the supermarket and you go to the meat section you will find a roast costing, on average, what it has cost you for quite a number of years. The price has not increased as a result of the carbon price.

In the Canberra Times Senator Joyce claimed the carbon price would increase abattoir costs leading to an increase on the cost of meat. He inferred there would be a time where:

… abattoirs would have to pay $575,000 for a single beast. So it is costing you vastly more than a $100 roast, that one.

I do not see that in the supermarkets I do my shopping at.

Minister Greg Combet actually hit back at this ludicrous claim, indicating:

Abattoirs emit methane, one of the most harmful of the greenhouse gases, from biological waste. Where they emit more than 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gases a year they will be liable for the carbon price.

Treasury modelling shows the impact of this liability on meat prices is just 0.4 per cent, which has been factored into the government's household assistance. Furthermore, abattoirs can reduce emissions and carbon price liability through measures such as covering their waste settlement ponds and flaring the methane or using it to generate electricity. In these cases the liability may be reduced to zero, meaning the carbon price is doing exactly what it was intended to do.

One thing I never hear from the opposition is the success with which we handled the global financial crisis. I know that a couple of the senators on the other side attend the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, of which I am a member. They know that over the last several years we have been fortunate enough to have a number of ambassadors from a variety of different areas—the US, Europe and other location around the globe—commending what our government did during the global financial crisis.

I know that you, Acting Deputy President Marshall, as chair of the education committee you sit on, were privileged to hear a lot of evidence about what we did in our schools and what we did for schools right across the nation to give them, overwhelmingly, funding that they have never seen in their lifetime. The funding provided things like halls, science centres and libraries. I think I went to in excess of 140 openings over that short period of time. I was overwhelmed by the number of principals, student body members and parents of children coming up to me and saying, 'Thank you for the Gillard government. Thank you to the federal Labor government for providing this funding to build these beautiful halls that we would normally never see in our lifetime.'

It is unfortunate that those opposite criticise those sorts of outcomes and those entitlements that we have been able to provide. They try to break down the situation to show it as being unsuccessful, but that is not the case. It has been a marvellous success. You need to get out there and talk to the people in the schools. I know some opposite do, those who may be a little naive or fresh or want the photo opportunity. They come along and you see them up there on the stage smiling and grinning away. Then, all of a sudden, they are standing next to you. These are the people who opposed the response to the global financial crisis and opposed the Building the Education Revolution funding. Yet here they are just about putting their arms around you wanting to get into a photo opportunity to get onto the front page of the paper regarding the opening of a hall, a science centre or a library. How hypocritical some of those people in the LNP are. They say one thing, they talk the talk, but then when it comes to getting it out into the communities they are doing something other than that. It shows how hypocritical they are.

The other thing we need to remember is that when we came into government we put that sort of investment not only into the BER but into building our communities and our infrastructure programs, and that of course has generated over 840,000 jobs in our community. You never hear the opposition saying how successful that has been, because we know they do not stand for jobs in our community. They know that the Labor Party stands for jobs, employment and assisting people in times of need. There is the example of unemployment, which is around 5.4 per cent. Compare that with a rate of 7.9 per cent in the United States. That is another example of how we have delivered to make sure that our unemployment rate is so low.

We have always been the party that represents people. We believe in fairness and equity and that is why currently our taxes are at 22.2 per cent of GDP, compared with 24.2 per cent in 2004-05 and 2005-06. The Howard government was the highest taxing government ever in history. That demonstrates how we have been able to make sure that people in our communities are taken care of.

Look at the low interest rates of today—currently on three per cent—compared to 6.75 per cent when we came into office. That is helping people by making sure their mortgages are met and their needs are accommodated for.

I am so proud of the fact the government has been able to introduce policies like the Schoolkids Bonus, making sure that kids can go to school with all their needs, whether it be pencils, bags or payments for excursions. This is what a forward-thinking Labor government does and that is why we will not stand here and listen to this MPI based on— (Time expired)