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

They have got their talking points: 'Don't talk about education. Don't talk about disabilities. Don't even talk about jobs. Just talk'—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Thank you, I will take that interjection. 'No hint of a plan—don't even hint about a plan; just talk about boats. That's all we want you to talk about.' That is a day after the budget has been handed down that looks at a plan for Australia's future, a plan to deliver the biggest reform in schools the nation has ever seen, a plan to deliver the next stage of Medicare—and only a Labor government would ever have delivered disability care. We remember how many times the coalition in history tried to tear down Medicare. You have always been late to this argument. But, no, they do not want to talk about that; they want to talk about boats, because that is all they ever want to talk about. In terms of the budget position— (Time expired)