Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I can understand, Mr Acting Deputy President, why they are all getting so uptight about hearing the truth about economics. You are not just laughing; what you are doing is laughing at the plight of working-class people in this country, because you do not understand the issues that they face. You do not understand that it is very difficult for many families to pay the bills, pay the mortgage, clothe their kids, get them off to school. All you want to do—

Government senators interjecting—

And that is the theory we get from Senator Paterson—which is simply that microeconomics will fix the problems. 'You don't have to worry one iota about ordinary working people in this country. You don't have to worry about them. The economic theory of the IPA will be there.' Senator Paterson's job was Deputy Executive Director of the IPA—whatever that was. I noticed that the IPA, on the issue that we are debating here—that is, the competence of the current Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull—says, 'Turnbull's policies aren't Liberal, they're incoherent.' This is the IPA that Senator Paterson used to be the deputy director of. This is what Chris Berg from the IPA says:

It's hard not to conclude that Bill Shorten has the measure of Malcolm Turnbull. Policy after policy the Government is chasing the Opposition, rather than leading it.

This is the IPA. Senator Paterson was a leading light in the IPA. One minute he is criticising the coalition, then he is in here running the party line. What a great job the Prime Minister is doing when the organisation that Senator Paterson has come from is basically saying the Prime Minister is not up to it! 'Malcolm Turnbull ain't up to the job.' That is what your old organisation is saying. No wonder you are smiling—because you agree with that. You are one that would pull Malcolm Turnbull down in a jot. You would pull him down as soon as you could. Chris Berg says that negative gearing is only on the table because Labor announced its negative gearing policy in February. Labor is leading the debate, even according to the IPA.

Reforms to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission were, obviously, only done because Labor called for a royal commission into the banks. Again, the Prime Minister is not up to it. The coalition is not up to it. You are an absolute rabble. Malcolm Turnbull does not have the capacity to lead this country. And it goes on to say the Assistant Treasurer, Kelly O'Dwyer—