Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Acting Deputy President Bernardi. I was so relaxed sitting here because I knew you would get it. As I said, I want to take note of questions put to Senator Cormann. Sadly, there was no answer. It is so tough to go back out to the electorates and defend the institute of the parliament when I myself am completely embarrassed by question time. I think question time is an absolute disgrace—and I do not hold back on this. I would love to be able to go back and say that it is question and answer time. That is probably our fault, because that is where we have got it wrong.

I do not care which minister and which topic; I just think that if questions are asked and the ministers cannot be truthful, they should come out and say straightaway to us and the people who are watching, 'I'm just not going to tell you the truth.' To watch Minister Cormann's pathetic effort to do everything he could to avoid questions from Senator Ketter about the GST was an absolute disgraceful waste of time. It is shameful that someone can be paid nearly $300,000 to get up and do that. I do not know if anyone is going to argue with me, because it is not the first time that I have talked about my absolute hatred of question time. It is a complete and utter waste of not only the finances of the taxpayers but also the time of the Senate.

Today Minister Cormann was asked a clear question. There was modelling done by Treasury, and there were figures brought out around if a 15 per cent GST were applied to a number of things—health, education, sewerage or services—and he was asked whether he could confirm that these were the figures that Treasury modelling showed. And all he wanted to do was absolutely avoid even telling the tiniest piece of truth—to say, yes, they were, or come out as a man who is paid nearly $300,000 and say, 'No, Senator, you are wrong,' and say it is this much or that much.

How can people have faith in this system that we have in front of them at the moment? It is damn disgraceful. Maybe I am getting a little bit cranky because of the years I have been here, but it just irks me. Why couldn't Minister Cormann answer the question? I will tell you why I think he could not answer the question. It is because it resonates through that side of the chamber's thoughts every time this side of the chamber, the opposition, ask questions about the GST—a 15 per cent increase from 10 per cent, or 15 per cent on stuff that is not taxed at the moment in fresh food and health and all that sort of stuff—that it is a massive scare campaign by Labor.

Today has proved to me that there might be a little truth to that massive scare campaign tag—and I will tell you who it is scaring. It is that lot over there. Last night I saw on the news that 20-odd backbenchers have absolutely fizzed out. These are the reports coming out of the party room. There are politicians on that side, some senators, who are absolute conviction senators. You do not have to guess what they are thinking. Your good self, Mr Acting Deputy President Bernardi, are one. You do not hide your thoughts. You are a conviction politician. So is Senator Heffernan. Senator Back does not back down. If he believes in something he will fight for it 100 per cent. You have 20 of the backbenchers now saying, 'Crying out loud; it is a scare campaign. It is frightening the living daylights out of us.'

If it is frightening the living daylights out of you, is there going to be a GST increase? Has Treasury modelling shown that the average household with an income of $86,000 has to pay an extra $6,200 a year in GST if it is increased to 15 per cent? Does the modelling on fresh food show that an average family with a household income of $86,000 will cop an extra $1,100 a year increase? Does it also show that the average healthcare costs will go up by $1,000 a year? Does it also show that education will increase by an extra $700 a year for an average family with a household income of $86,000? Does it also show that costs for water and sewerage will go up an extra $200? Does the modelling also show that households will pay an extra $3,200 a year if the GST is increased to 15 per cent without a change to the base? To the good folks out there who had the misfortune of having to sit through and listen to question time, I do not think they are unfair questions to ask. I do not think it is unfair of Her Majesty's opposition to put those questions to $300,000-a-year ministers. When we do not get an answer, what message does that send out to the people of Australia?

It is a scare campaign. They cannot tell the truth. They cannot correct the figures if they are wrong. I would be scared, too, if I were that lot over there.