Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have to say, I sat here quietly. I may not have agreed with what was said, but I did respect the rights of those on the other side of the chamber to be able to speak without being interrupted so that they could be heard. I am sure that they will afford me the same respect and opportunity.

It is a moral obligation for any government to provide an economic, fiscal and social structure that is sustainable—and 'sustainable' is the operative word here—and responsible, not only for today but, most importantly, for future generations. A responsible government should adjust its spending priorities by taking into account changing global circumstances, along with local influences that impinge on the national income. Sadly, I have to say, those changing circumstances that Australia has experienced were not accounted for or factored in in any considerations by the previous Rudd and Gillard governments. Not only were they not factored in with appropriate spending adjustments but, rather, they responded with a continued chequebook approach to every challenge that emerged. It was this irresponsibility of writing a cheque to deal with whatever circumstances arose that has dramatically accelerated the situation that every Australian is now faced with. To put it simply, Australia is living beyond its means—there is no other way to put it—and it is a situation that will significantly impede our national potential unless it is addressed. Opportunities and economic prosperity for decades are at stake.

I stand here today and commend the Abbott government and the Herculean efforts of the Treasurer, Mr Joe Hockey, and the finance minister, Senator Mathias Cormann, in not shirking the enormous responsibility but, rather, confronting it head-on so that future generations have an opportunity to thrive. The motion of the opposition, suggesting the government is attacking low- and middle-income earners, typically and predictably misses the point. Sending $900 cheques to 21,000 dead people, overseeing a disgraceful installation scheme that cost more to fix than the cost to implement it, not to mention the cost of dismantling effective—and I have to stress 'effective'—border protection measures, are sadly just small examples of the fiscally reckless behaviour of the former governments that we are now responsibly seeking to fix. No government takes this on lightly and it is certainly no fun to be left with the legacy that the coalition has been left with. But I have to say that nations that are blessed with the resources that Australia enjoys should not find themselves in the situation where the projected national debt in a decade will rise to $667 billion if the previous government's spending patterns continue. As we have heard, that amounts to a staggering $12 billion, or $1 billion every month, to service that debt. To put it into context, that is the same amount we spend on aged care and it is the same amount that we use to fund our universities. And this is what we would have been looking at if we had continued on the trajectory that was set by the former governments.

As a mother, but also as someone who is very, very responsive to those who walk in the door of my electorate office, I do not believe that we should be burdening our children and our future generations with a noose of debt that will strangle them for their lifetimes. And we are beholden to do something about it now. Whatever happened to the Australian ethos? Aussies were known for their fierce independence, their self-reliance, the drive to do one's best and achieve one's own potential while working hard to ensure that family and friends were looked after. What has happened to that ethos? What has it been replaced with in the last few years? Instead we seem to have developed—and we have heard it today—a patronising culture where individuals are being told the government knows best and is best placed to make decisions for them—whether it is about their health, their education or even telling them how to run a business.

The budgetary decisions have not been made lightly and they have not been easy. But what is missing here—and we have not heard it from the other side—is that it was the right thing to do. We all know we have to increase workforce participation to build a more prosperous economy while living within our means. We all know that we have an ageing demographic. We all know—certainly on this side—that the status quo cannot continue. I urge those on the opposite side—