Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I just want to pick up on a few things Senator Reynolds spoke about in terms of understanding the fiscal responsibility on behalf of the taxpayer. Senator Reynolds, I think what you are missing completely here in terms of members opposite is that when you keep removing things from the taxpayer—from the average Australian in this country—you really are missing out on the fairness test. You keep removing things. I go back to the 2014 budget, because that is where it really began in terms of many of our organisations across the country and in particular for Indigenous organisations, with a cut of half a billion dollars to Aboriginal and Islander services across Australia.

We have seen an increase in socially irresponsible decisions by the members opposite. We have seen the levels of joblessness and homelessness rise right across this country, and in particular in our regions. When we look at the mess of CDP and the problems that our communities are facing without the ability to have money available to feed their families, we are talking about real hunger, we are talking about people who do not have the money to pay for food for their children. This is how very real and hard these cuts are already impacting and have been for a number of years. So what happens when you just keep squeezing and squeezing to remove what we know are the basic human rights for most of our Australians across this country?

In terms of the question that was put to Senator Brandis this afternoon from Senator Farrell, the real question is: is the government walking away from its $50 billion company tax cuts? There are certainly reports in the media that the government is walking away from it and today in question time, we have the same. On 4 May 2016, the Prime Minister said—