Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

What I was saying is that I do see the problems, what is happening here, and I will pull it back to Labor. Labor are saying that they are worrying about the battlers. But where has Labor been on cost of living? It was actually Labor that allowed for foreign investors to do developments in Australia. In particular it was brought to my attention in Melbourne that if they did a development they could actually sell off the whole development to foreign investment. It used to be that 50 per cent had to go to Australians. Now the whole lot goes to foreign investors. Where was Labor on that? Where was Labor with Queensland now 87 per cent in drought? Where was Labor when multinationals put the squeeze on canegrowers in the Burdekin?—again, a foreign investor. And, as I said before, where was Labor with the Singaporean land acquisition? So, through you, Chair, I am asking these questions of Labor. Are they prepared to answer the questions? Where was Labor on creating affordable housing?

They have allowed foreign investors in this country. Where were they when we were looking at foreign investment in houses to stop foreign investors buying them so that Australians could buy the houses? What have they done? Absolutely nothing. Where were Labor when Senator Cory Bernardi put a freeze on politicians' wages in the budget? Labor are so hypocritical. Where was Labor on regional outback Australia where unemployment is at 11.6 percent in Queensland? Labor have made so many allegations against me that it is like the Medicare scare. It is like they have to criticise Pauline Hanson and One Nation and it is like they have to show that she is not for the battlers.

I will actually stand up for what is fair, what is right and what is just for this country, for Australia and for the Australian people. I will not be hypocritical and I will not be two-faced like other people in this chamber. The fact is that I have a job to do and sometimes tough decisions have to be made. I cannot please everyone. I know that, when I make decisions or judgements in this house, I do not always vote with the coalition as sometimes I vote with the Greens and sometimes with the Labor Party, I vote on what I think is right for this country and the people. I will always direct my vote that way.

Labor brings it back just because I have done a deal in Western Australia to preference the Liberals before Labor. They will not tell you that they preference the Liberals before One Nation in Western Australia. They will not tell you that. This is basically because they are concerned about where the votes are going. They know they are losing a lot of votes to One Nation because they are not standing up and fighting for the battlers in this country because they are two-faced. They are more worried about the union bosses. What about the workers? Let's mention that $73 million of union fees have gone into Labor Party coffers over the last 10 years.

So, they are really for the battlers, are they? Let us be honest about the whole thing. I say to the Labor Party and to everyone in this chamber: have a look at the bill as a whole, look at what is right for this country and start reigning in the debt of this nation otherwise we will not be able to look after the pensioners, the sick, the aged and the needy.

You cannot continue to buy votes in this house and that is exactly what you are doing. Have a good look at this bill because people are relying on us to make the right decisions.