Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

If anybody in this country ever doubted that the Liberal Party had come to this place with a born-to-rule attitude, they just have to watch Senator George Brandis today as he lectured us about why he should be in a position of power, puffed up and pompous as he always is. But what he demonstrates, more importantly than all of that, is this absolute view that they are born to rule. Well, let me tell you this, Mr President: we on this side believe in a fair Australia, a just Australia, and I was very interested that Senator Brandis said that the motion before the chamber was the most important and most solemn thing a parliament could do. Unlike him, on this side we think an increase to the pension was a pretty important thing to do; we think a National Disability Insurance Scheme is a pretty important thing to do; we think fair wages and conditions for Australian workers and their families are a pretty important thing to do; we think ensuring we have a strong economy is a pretty important thing to do; we think tax breaks and tax cuts for low-income Australians are a pretty important thing to do; we think increases in superannuation are a pretty important thing to do; we think increasing the wages for the low-paid workers who work in domestic violence centres and in social and community services was a pretty important thing to do—and the list goes on. The difference in Australian political history, as was on display, between that side and this side is that we are about the future. We are about a just Australia, a fair Australia and a strong economy for today and for tomorrow. Those on the other side have always been about privilege.

Opposition senators interjecting—